


Prince of Ink

by Susimau



Series: Overshadow [4]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Blood and Gore, Captain Seonghwa, Carpenter Jongho, Dark Ateez, Emotional Trauma, First Mate Yunho, Heavy Angst, Kidnapped Mingi, Kidnapped San, Kidnapped Wooyoung, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Multi, Navigator Yeosang, Restless Hongjoong, Revenge, Selfcest, Smut, Swordfighting, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:46:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 65,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: Seonghwa is the Captain of the Precious now, yet the former Captain does not seem to be able to find his peace.So like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he returns. And he is out for blood.- Go read Prince of Shells first to unlock this -
Relationships: Ateez/Dark!Ateez, Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Overshadow [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617121
Comments: 1020
Kudos: 390





	1. A Familiar Face

Hongjoong awoke with a shuddering gasp.

Immediately, he was coughing as a sharp pain stabbed his lungs. The memory of a spear coming down at him, of the grinning face of a navy soldier, penetrated his mind with alarming swiftness. This was the last thing he had seen, his last memory. A horrible scenario he wished to never see again.

His muscles acted on instinct. His fist quickly moved up to block the deadly weapon from coming down on him, but he met resistance. Fingers wrapped around his wrist to keep him in place, and a fresh wave of panic made Hongjoong heave for breath.

Not again. He had to fight, please-

"Open your eyes. You're safe."

That was a familiar voice. Hongjoong had heard it before.

At once, all of his energy depleted, and his hand would have dropped on his face, had the person holding him not put it down carefully on his chest. Cautious, Hongjoong felt over his clothed chest. He couldn't find the injury he remembered vividly to have sustained, and while the absence of pain relieved him, it also made him incredibly suspicious.

Where was he?

"Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

He probably could, but Hongjoong needed a minute. He had no idea what was going on. This felt all wrong. He was not entirely sure why this present moment appeared like a foggy hallucination to him, but he knew it was not supposed to be.

So, to find out what exactly the issue here was, Hongjoong opened his eyes.

It was mostly dark around him. He seemed to be laying in some sort of cave that had a ceiling high enough for it to get lost somewhere in the darkness looming in every corner. There was only one tall torch burning near them somewhere, but its warmth could not make up for the coldness that blanketed the room icily.

An alleviated sigh came from the person next to him. He had been leaning next to Hongjoong against whatever uncomfortable stone that had become his resting place.

But what was all of this?

"Good. I assume you're still in pain. Want something to chew on?" The man next to Hongjoong shifted, searching the pouches on his belt for something of use. Hongjoong cluelessly blinked at the dark locks that tumbled into his eyes as he moved. The fire seemed to dance like it was part of his golden skin wherever it met him, seeming unnatural.

"Bang Yongguk."

The man lifted his head to grace Hongjoong with a fleeting smile. Both of them ignored how throaty the pirate's voice was.

"Aye, welcome back to the world of mortals." With that, he wrapped an arm around Hongjoong's shoulders to slowly move him up in a sitting position. For a second, nausea clouded his mind, but then he managed to stay upright. He also began mindlessly chewing on the leaf Yongguk offered to him.

"If you say welcome back..."

Yongguk gave a patient nod and pushed his cloak back so he could sit down next to Hongjoong comfortably. With a deep hum, he watched the shadows of the cave play a push and pull game with the flames of the fire.

"You died."

Hongjoong was surprised by these words. If he had died, how was he here? Was this a dream? Did Yongguk die, too? Or was he maybe able to travel within both realms through his magic?

"I remember pain... I was stabbed. You didn't save me?"

With a grim expression etched onto his face, Yongguk shook his head.

"I couldn't. There were too many. You were already dead by the time I could even get through."

Perplexed, Hongjoong looked down at his hands that he could feel in his lap and his kicking feet. He appeared to be so alive, how could he be dead?

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Growing more distressed, he started chewing harder. The bitter juices of the leaf numbed his throat and took away some of the pain.

"It has been four months, Hongjoong. It took me all this time to get you back." He pushed all ten of his fingers through his hair, stressed. Hongjoong idly let his feet move in circles. He could do something like this.

"Four months?"

"What I'm saying is... You've been dead for four months. And I brought you back to life just now."

Hongjoong's feet stilled in their movement. Idly, he traced the silver ring on his right hand with his thumb.

"I'm afraid I still can't believe you... It's nothing personal, Yongguk. But even you can't make people live," he murmured dejectedly and without lifting his eyes off the pretty ring with the black gem inside.

A weak chuckle sounded from the other man, breaking through the barricade of his hands joylessly.

"Think about Seonghwa, then."

A painful stab that was worse than any wound Hongjoong could ever sustain hit him in the chest. He doubled over from the force of it, gasping for air with wide eyes as he suddenly was unable to breathe anymore.

Memories flashed again, memories that had never really settled with him, because he had died too soon, too fast.

It had been their wedding day. Seonghwa had looked gorgeous. His eyes had been shining and sparkling with the special glint that they only ever got when Hongjoong or his family was mentioned.

He had looked at Seonghwa while he died. Had seen all the hope and happiness empty out. Had seen that glint go out like a candle hit by a gust of wind.

He remembered the pain of Seonghwa seeing him like this, of seeing Seonghwa look at him at that moment as endlessly worse than the physical pain.

Hot tears dripped out of Hongjoong's eyes as he clutched at his shirt, trying to calm his raging heart. He felt weak. Weak and incredibly useless.

"Why-"

"Do you think any pain would ever feel this extreme if you were still dead? No. You're feeling it because you are alive."

Hongjoong needed another five minutes to calm down, but he didn't ask again. He understood by now. He didn't need to know the physics or magic behind this, not now. Apparently, Yongguk had achieved the impossible and made him come back. Unexpectedly, he had once again returned to this world.

"Where is he?" Why wasn't he here? If he was alright, why wouldn't he want to see Hongjoong came back? Perhaps he had been afraid to see it fail. Hongjoong couldn't have born the sight of Seonghwa dying and the tries to bring him back failing, too.

"Somewhere out there. He doesn't know of this, yet."

At that, Hongjoong sharply twisted his head towards Yongguk. He noticed the lack of hair in the back of his neck and assumed Yongguk had cut it. It was probably black again now, too.

"Yongguk!"

"It's an important mission. I couldn't just access him. And neither can you." Yongguk reached into his bag at the foot of the altar they were sitting on and getting a flask with alcohol. Wordlessly, he handed it to Hongjoong and the pirate took a big gulp. Some spilt over his chin, but he didn't care as he gave it back.

"I need to see him."

"Do you remember this place? Know where you are?"

It was too dark to see much in the big and cold cave. Hongjoong had seen his fair share of those.

"It was where this cult lived. Where you were trapped once."

Hongjoong looked around again, and indeed, he could now recognise the layout. He remembered benches standing there, and the wendigo, of course. Today, it was nearly empty save for the altar, but that seemed to have been all that Yongguk had needed.

He nodded slowly. Yongguk had said it was a great place for magic once.

"You can go see him, I won't be able to stop you from it. I've seen him wither away for long enough now. But... You'll put him in danger. He's infiltrating the Royal Navy at the moment, and that is nothing we should overlook. He's being watched from many sides and he can only hide so much until his identity becomes public."

That wouldn't stop Hongjoong. Rather, it made him want to get moving faster. The sooner he knew Seonghwa safe and happy in his arms again, the sooner Hongjoong would allow himself to rest and take this weird situation into consideration, too.

However, this screamed for trouble.

"What?! Why is he doing that?" Seonghwa and the navy? He had a bounty on his head for God's sake, they were out for his blood! There was no mercy for the likes of him!

"Four months can be a long time for anybody. Seonghwa is trying to get part of your crew back that was captured on the day you were attacked, but your loss hasn't been kind to him. He's nowhere near stable, and if you appeared in front of him just like that while not even knowing how you came back yourself, you will put both of you at great risk." Yongguk sipped from his alcohol, still seeming stressed despite having succeeded in his task.

Hongjoong felt his body collapse a bit, sinking into a fetal position.

Seonghwa was suffering.

Yongguk's hand brotherly squeezed his shoulder as he tried to console to the best of his abilities. A tense silence enveloped them for a few minutes until Hongjoong felt ready to talk again. There were still so many questions he wanted to ask, and he knew he needed to be patient and find answers first before he could go and act brusquely.

"Why do you keep beating yourself up for saving me?"

A humourless chuckle escaped Yongguk at that question out of all the possible ones. He pushed his hair back and tied it together with a leather band before putting the flask in his bag once again.

"I messed it up. Which is not entirely my fault, but I tried to go for something else. I've overestimated my preparations. The opposing force was too powerful for me to withstand."

Hongjoong tried crossing his legs and was satisfied when it worked. He was wearing some loose but warm clothes, probably Yongguk's. If it had been four months then it had to be winter now. It explained the cold.

"I was trying to revive the whole you... But instead, I just kicked your umbra out and put you in his place. I made a Kira out of you, a wandering soul. Nothing dead, but also nothing alive. This was not supposed to happen."

Hongjoong pricked his ears at that comment.

"You made my umbra die? Just like that?" His voice was growing stronger by now, just like his confidence as he didn't feel that pain returning. His brain must have reminded him of it in the first moment of returning.

"Well, he was gone to begin with when you died. Took your soul and returned to whatever hellish hole he spawned of. So I needed to ask him to hand your soul back. Offered him other things that were in his interest instead. I was supposed to put your soul back into your body and revive you, but... I went wrong somewhere. It fused wrong, I think, or maybe he was trying to trap the magic somehow to keep me from it, I don't know. Fact is that the process killed him and put you in his stead."

Hongjoong couldn't help but giggle. At Yongguk's pout, his laughter just grew until it was echoing in the dark cave gleefully.

"Oh, this is wonderful. You did well, Yongguk, thank you so much for your help. I'll make sure to bring you anything you ask for in exchange. Kira was still able to stab a person just fine, this won't stop me." With that, Hongjoong jumped down from the altar and regained his balance on land for a second, before offering his hand to Yongguk.

The man reluctantly accepted it and let himself be pulled to his feet. He took his bag, before extinguishing the flames with a snap of his fingers. Then, he slowly began to walk Hongjoong out of the cave.

"Careful, my friend. Kira was blessed by the stars. You are now a being of shadows. Maybe not as powerful as him, but there will also be other weaknesses. I would take a wild guess and say that light might not be your comrade from now on."

Hongjoong stepped put into the nightly air first and breathed it in deeply. He could feel the wind in his face again, and while it was no sea breeze, it was enough, for now. A thin blanket of snow was layered over the lands, and singular white crystals tumbled from the dark skies.

"Bang, you literally brought a man back from the dead. Said man will survive a few rays of the sun just fine." He smiled brightly at his companion and then looked around in the empty plains that were dotted with bits of whitish forest.

"You said it's that cave... That means Seonghwa's home is near, right?"

"Aye."

"Then let's go there. Maybe they can help me get him back."

Yongguk wordlessly led the way.


	2. Warmth for the Lost One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends, I took part in the Ateez storyline contest! If you wanna read and vote for it, here's the link! http://www.ateez.kqent.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=gevent&wr_id=2680  
> You gotta log in/sign up to do so and I've also heard that there's problems with it being only available in Korea at the moment  
> If you still wanna read, it's also on my Twitter @Susimau_s!

Hongjoong carefully rapped his fingers on the door leading to Seonghwa's home. It was windy and cold out here at the cliffs, but the little house stood firm against the snow. The pretty grey and white horse that belonged to the family was standing underneath its shelter and happily munching away on some hay. When it heard Hongjoong, it curiously looked over, but soon ignored him in favour of its food.

It was Seonghwa's mother, who opened the door for him.

In the first second, she looked mightily confused as if she couldn't even recognise him without all of his usual unique attributes. However, when she finally did take notice of his distinct features, her eyes went as wide as saucers. With an audible slap that made Hongjoong wince, she hit her hand in front of her mouth.

"Hongjoong?!"

Hongjoong was glad that Yongguk wasn't at his side at the moment. The warlock had decided to take a little detour to the city to check the current navy situation in the surrounding waters. He had agreed to come to collect Hongjoong later to avoid him being spotted by anybody. For now, it was best not to alert the world yet that the Pirate King was alive.

"Aye... Hello." Hongjoong was hesitant, as always, with this woman. She held so much power over Seonghwa in her old little wrinkly hands. Hongjoong swallowed at the thought of Seonghwa coming here and telling her he was gone. Did Tikki know? Gods, he hoped she did not. She was too young to be knowing that she had lost both of her parents in such a short time.

Seonghwa's mother was still looking at him with an ashen face. Frozen in shock, she did not even dare to move an inch despite his friendly advances.

"I- I take it he told you, hm? How do I explain this?" Hongjoong reached up to tiredly rub his eyes. He was hungry and still confused. His body felt weird after that period without truly living. It was as if reality had shifted just a bit, and now, he was keenly aware of that. He was missing four months of his life and had no recollection of what had happened during the time.

"Can I come in?"

It was too cold outside without a proper coat, and Hongjoong would rather try to explain himself without dying _again_ while he was at it.

Seonghwa's mother nodded kind of belatedly and like a wooden doll held by stubborn strings. It was better than nothing, though, and a second later, Hongjoong found himself in their warm home that always smelled deliciously of fresh-baked goods.

Hongjoong sat down on the bench in the corner while rubbing his arms, and the woman clumsily tumbled into the chair opposite of him, still shell-shocked.

It was late night by now, so it came to no surprise that Tikki was already fast asleep in their little nest. Her tiny nose was buried in the pillows she had smushed her face in, and she was hugging Joong close with all her might. There was also a scarf that was distinctively familiar to Hongjoong's eyes wrapped around her little frame, keeping her warm.

Hongjoong imagined Seonghwa being there with her and cradling her close with his gentle hands, and he had to smile a bit.

He wanted to see the man as soon as possible.

"He told me you were dead. Please don't tell me you've-" Right after having finally begun speaking in a rushed voice, Seonghwa's mother fell quiet again. Hongjoong followed the line of her gaze to his right hand, to the ring he was wearing there. Gently, he rubbed a thumb over the heated metal.

"No, I- I truly died. It was real. I returned, though... And now I need to see him." His voice cracked around the last few words, but Hongjoong was patient with himself. He pushed his hair back, trying not to fall apart right here in this place that was so Seonghwa. It all reminded Hongjoong of him, and he didn't even want to know how the man was feeling at the moment. He was still there, still on the Precious and surrounded by everything that defined Hongjoong.

"Please tell me what happened. Did he come here?"

As if working on reflexes only, the woman reached behind and took some stew for him from the pot. The coal beneath it was still smouldering in warm orange light. Hongjoong also received two pieces of bread and thanked the woman profusely for her kindness. Out of all the people he had met in his life, it was always those who did not have much, who were much more willing to share their few belongings.

"I haven't seen the boy in four months. Not since you died. He came by shortly after and told me, but then he... he disappeared. Said he had a ship to captain."

Hongjoong harshly swallowed around his bite of food. The bread had nearly gotten stuck in his throat at that mention.

"So they made him captain... I guess that makes a lot of sense."

Seonghwa as a captain. Who would have thought that this was the fate that had been bestowed on a simple baker boy by the deities?

"Yonghwan told me he has made himself known during that time." She reached over the table to slide a piece of paper that was lying in some corner over to him. At first glance, he could see that it was a wanted poster.

"They call him the Pirate Prince by now." She smiled motherly, her eyes void of any negative feelings. Hongjoong's fingers shook just a little bit as he turned the poster to face him so he could look down at the picture.

He had gotten a new one. His first picture had been just of him, black-haired and looking kind of adorably confused. Usually, they tried to capture the fierceness and brutality of criminals in these posters, but when Seonghwa's had been made, he had been anything but.

This time, though, they had reached their goal.

Seonghwa looked barely like himself in the picture. Hongjoong would like to blame it on them overdramatising their drawings, but he knew perfectly well that he alone was mostly at fault.

Seonghwa's features looked sharp in the deep shadows of the picture. They had obviously portrayed him as a murderous demon and seeing as he obviously had his umbra with him in the scene, that had been an easy task.

He was in full war paint in the picture. His eyes and lips were painted red, making his smirk seem far too broad and unsettling. He was wielding both of his swords and looking right at the beholder while blood was staining the steel and his white shirt.

He was also wearing one of Hongjoong's piercings in his ear, and he looked so undeniably attractive that Hongjoong wanted nothing more but to drop to his knees and worship that man from head to toes.

He missed him so much. He wanted to taste those grim lips right now and tell him that everything would be alright.

"I'll make sure to find him. He's not gone or anything like that."

"No, no, he's not... We have many differences between us, Pirate King. Yet, we share the unconditional love for my son. I told you I trust you with him." She extended her hands slowly and carefully, offering them to Hongjoong. Her eyes were sincere as Hongjoong gazed at her, and his throat locked up at the gentleness in her eyes.

Never in his life had Hongjoong been looked upon with parental love. It was either his crew members or women with a bed they wanted to warm that looked at him with affection. Even then, he had never seen something as strong as the shine in Seonghwa's eyes, and still, it was entirely different than being looked at by a mother.

Hongjoong had trouble breathing as he carefully slipped his dirty and bloodied hands in the work-hardened ones of Seonghwa's mother. He was painfully aware of his ugly scars and the missing finger, trying to shield it away from her gaze.

"No, don't." With gentle brushes of her fingers, she repainted every single whitish scar that crossed his hands. It tickled slightly, but she stayed patient until his hands finally relaxed in hers. Her little finger gently wrapped around the stump on his hand, cradling it as if it was precious.

"You have beautiful hands, Hongjoong. They are surprisingly small. But they hold a thing of such importance. I know you can mend his heart again. And I'll be happy to receive both of you again at this very table while seeing this pure love in both of your eyes. Bring him back home, Hongjoong. You are his compass in the cruel world out there."

Hongjoong nearly choked on the tears that he was trying to hold back as he felt his cold and worried insides fill with her warmth. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep it together. All the while, she just smiled at him benevolently.

"Have you married the admiral by now?"

"Yes. About a month ago."

Hongjoong gingerly squeezed her hands with his.

"Alright, then I will get that idiot of a son and make sure he congratulates you soon. I'm sure Tikki misses him, too."

"Yes, she does. He told her you had gone on a journey... Yet he has disappeared for longer than you did. It's good to see you alive, Pirate King, however that is possible."

Hongjoong shyly nodded and let go of her to resume eating. But now, all tension in the room had lifted, and he was just munching away happily on his first stew in four months.

And damn, it was a tasty stew.

"How old are you, Hongjoong?"

"We assume I'm as old as Seonghwa. But born in winter."

With a sigh, she dropped her eyes to the table. It was an old and worn table. Time had left nicks and scratches in it. Hongjoong would love to have Jongho build them a new one. A beautiful table just for them.

"So young... I won't lie to you; at one point, I was glad that it was you and not Seonghwa."

Hongjoong chuckled in his stew and swallowed the potato that seemed to melt on his tongue.

"Me too. It was my last thought. _Please make sure he survives._ I'm glad he did. Yet, his condition seems even worse than dying. Dying is peaceful, at least."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm getting old, too. I'll be thirty-seven soon. I feel death closing in on me."

"Don't worry, Mama Park... I know how to get people back from the dead. You can be young forever."

He forced a smile on his lips, but it was futile. He knew. He knew that she was getting old. Maybe she would live a few years longer, but one day, a winter would arrive that would be too harsh on her. And then there was no going back.

"I'll make sure that you'll still be here in ten, twenty, maybe thirty years. And we will come regularly and check on you to sneak some of the best stew I've ever tasted."

At that, she giggled gently. Her eyes wandered over to Tikki, and Hongjoong understood. He would take care of her.

"You're a charming one. I see why he likes you."

At this, Hongjoong had to laugh, too. She looked surprised, probably not prepared for how boyish his laughing face actually appeared. Yet, she took it with the same motherly gentleness once again.

"I don't even know what he did when he was falling for me, I sure wasn't this charming towards him yet. I don't want to make any excuses, but I dare say your son has some twisted tastes," he shared with her secretively, and she jumped the situation right away.

"Of course, you know best about those, don't you? Sometimes I'm sad that I won't see any grandchildren from him, but I got this treasure instead, so it shall be fine." She nodded at Tikki, who stirred in her sleep, her little sleepy eyes slowly opening. Hongjoong prepared for the onslaught.

"Yet, he was so close."

Tikki tiredly blinked at him, and when she finally recognised him, her eyes went wide, too.

"What do you mean?"

Tikki ran over to him like a bolt of lightning, Joong and the scarf fluttering after her. She bonked her head against his chin as he bent down to pull her into his lap, but it was alright. She was happy and blubbering away already.

"Oh, he never told you? Well, it is time then for you to hear the most ridiculous story that has ever taken place on my ship." He wrapped one arm around Tikki, the other resumed eating on the side.

He met the woman's curious eyes with his own gaze twinkling with mirth.

"I hope I will get until the end until my friend comes and picks me up."


	3. Finding the Pirate Prince

It took Hongjoong and Yongguk about three days to travel down to the town Yongguk presumed Seonghwa to be in at the moment. The warlock had told Hongjoong that in those four months, he had seen Seonghwa only once, fleetingly. Seonghwa had needed an outlet to sneak into the Royal Court, and Yongguk had set up some connections for him. Ever since then, Seonghwa had been busy playing his role as an aristocrat. Yongguk had managed to smuggle him in by introducing him to the right people, and by now, Seonghwa was in the middle of installing the crew members as moles. As soon as they got into the inner circles, they would use their influence to pull the right strings. If their plan succeeded, they could quickly save the missing three crew members from the gallows.

It was so very risky, and if they got discovered, death would follow right up. They were directly in the heart of the people that had sworn to end their lives, and the game they were playing was a dangerous one.

Thus, there was also no sailing and being pirates going on right now. They had pretended to disappear after they had lost their captain only to slip behind the enemy lines smoothly. It was where nobody suspected them of being.

"There, that's the house he's staying at. I think there's some celebration coming up, for the birthday of some high-ranking admiral. He will go there, and maybe it's the perfect moment for you to meet."

Curious, Hongjoong had glanced at Yongguk from underneath his hood. He was still hiding away his face, but with all of the people fleeing from the cold weather and icy winds, it was nothing unusual.

"How so?"

"It's a masquerade ball. He won't suspect you to appear, so it might be a good moment to be close without having to blow your cover," Yongguk murmured as he looked up the stone wall behind their backs. In the dark alley they were standing in, there was less wind howling around their forms and not a single person to be seen.

So close. He was so close. Hongjoong's heart galloped away at the idea of seeing the other man. For him, it didn't feel like two months, but even a few days without Seonghwa could be torturous.

"Give me a second."

With that, Hongjoong pushed back the cloak Yongguk had brought for him when he had come to get him from Seonghwa's house. Yongguk patiently leaned back against the building and kept watch as Hongjoong quickly scaled the wall, using the windowsills to his advantage.

He was glad that his body had taken no damage from those four months of probably lying in some corner in Yongguk's home. It would have been troublesome if he needed to build up his muscles again.

Yongguk told him when to stop, and Hongjoong carefully grabbed onto the window Seonghwa probably was behind and pushed himself up on the shutters of the window underneath to peek into the room.

Seonghwa was indeed there. And he was as beautiful as thousands of sunrises and sunsets Hongjoong had seen on the ocean.

The man was sitting at a table on the wall to the right. A sole little lamp illuminated his sharp features as he was scribbling away on some letter. He was not wearing a shirt, making Hongjoong curiously squint at the new tattoos he found on the man's skin.

He looked like he had lost weight, too. His cheeks seemed more hollow than before, and the line of his bones sharper. His expression was pinched even despite his calming task as if a constant frown had been etched onto his face. His hair was black again and falling into his eyes shaggily.

Hongjoong wanted to go in there and pull him into his arms so bad. The yearning inside of his chest seemed to pull him towards the other man as if hanging on strings that were connected to Seonghwa.

In a little moment of distraction, Hongjoong's hand suddenly slipped, creating a scratching sound on the wall.

Immediately he let go entirely and dropped into the shadows. Yongguk was right there to pull him deeper into the thick darkness of the alley hastily. Curses slipped from both of their lips as the window above them opened right away.

"Who be there?!" Seonghwa called authoritatively as he tried to squint in order to see better, but they were well hidden. Hongjoong's chest rapidly rose and fell with his laboured breaths.

For a second longer, Seonghwa stared straight into their direction with his lips pursed. The light was illuminating his form from the back and making his shoulders and arms glow.

Then, a second person stepped up behind him.

Slender fingers lazily slipped over the man's shoulders, travelling downwards to roam his chest. Frozen, Hongjoong watched how they lovingly mapped out Seonghwa's body, clearly familiar with it.

It was too far to see whether it was a man or a woman, but the head of raven hair that soon dipped into Seonghwa's neck to do whatever evil deeds there seemed terrifyingly familiar.

"Oh, no," Hongjoong whispered under his breath. Every reflex in his body was telling him to go up there and rip them apart. His fingers clenched into tiny fists of fury as he physically held himself back. Yongguk's grip on him tightened.

Seonghwa sighed quietly, sinking back into the embrace of his lover. He even bared his pale neck to allow more access. Hongjoong nearly growled at them.

However, the distraction worked. Soon after, Seonghwa let his defences drop and was pulled away from the window easily.

They waited with bated breaths for a second before Yongguk finally dropped his hand from Hongjoong's tense shoulder. A comforting pat was delivered awkwardly, too.

"Let's go."

"I have to check one more time. I have to make sure."

Before Yongguk could even do so much as to reach out and stop Hongjoong, he had already taken off and was scaling the walls again. This time, he was more careful about the noise he made, but no less swift in his movements. It took him just a few seconds to be up there again, and he held his breath as he moved into their field of sight.

Carefully, he took a glimpse over the edge, peeking into the room.

Seonghwa was on the comfortable big bed by now, and as Hongjoong had predicted previously, his bloody umbra was right behind him. He had pushed Seonghwa face down into the mattress and was breaching him with deep and languid thrusts. Seonghwa responded to every single one of them with a little moan, but they sounded too breathless, too broken.

He sounded as if he was crying.

Hongjoong felt his heart shatter in his chest about seven times. Seonghwa was not in pain, in no physical sense anyway. He was clutching at his double's wrist, locking their fingers on his hips as he pushed back into the movements slowly but clearly consenting. They looked like the saddest of all lovers as if they were only holding up because of the grip they had on each other.

His face was turned away, and his hair hung into his eyes, but yet Hongjoong could still hear him sob.

After just a second longer, Hongjoong couldn't take the sight anymore and let his body drop again. He landed a tad clumsily, but still soundless and allowed himself to tumble against the wall in his back. For a second, he just breathed and tried to overcome his torn-up chest. Every breath he took seemed to be accentuated by a dozen knives slashing through his lungs, making his breathing short and flat.

Seonghwa was not fine at all. Seonghwa was suffering from every second he was forced to go on alone.

"Let's go already. You can get him back soon, I promise. But you have to give him the time to be ready to accept you back. Right now, he's not in the right state of mind." Yongguk's murmur was low in the dark, and this time, Hongjoong didn't resist. They evacuated from the site without a trace while his mind kept replaying the pained noises that had tumbled out of Seonghwa's mouth. Pained little whimpers, sadder, and more broken than anything Hongjoong had heard before.

"I need to get back to him as soon as possible. I don't want him to fall down into that hole any deeper." Hongjoong did his best to conceal his anger and shock, but he probably failed mightily. Even he heard the venom and distaste dripping from his words. He felt icier inside now than the harsh air that hit them with every step.

"I'll get you in that masquerade ball. Meet him as a stranger first if you cannot drench your need for him. It might distract him enough to intrigue him without putting his life on the line."

Hongjoong nodded full of gratitude and followed Yongguk into the inn he led him to. He ordered them drinks and food in their room and made sure the doors and windows were locked before getting comfortable.

With a huff, he dropped down on one side of their big bed while Hongjoong belatedly found a spot on the other. Yongguk had thrown an arm over his eyes and was speaking muffled by his loose sleeves.

"I'm worried about him, too. So far, he has kept himself together so well. He made sure that the crew stayed as one group and started this huge, dangerous mission. I think he uses it as a way to distract himself, and I don't know how long he can keep that up. I hope you will be there to catch him before he falls."

Hongjoong's every piece hurt at those words, but he reminded himself to stay resilient, too. Just how Seonghwa was.

"The guy who killed me... Did they ever get him?"

Hongjoong watched as Yongguk sat up and opened his bundle to empty some of the contents on the sheets. It was Hongjoong's sword, his flag, and also some of the accessories he knew he had worn on their wedding day.

Right, Seonghwa was his husband now. His husband that he had never gotten to enjoy time with ever since they had married.

Yongguk pushed the things over with cautious fingers.

"They didn't. I think Seonghwa might be planning to take him out during their ambush, but he overestimates his powers. He will freeze depending on what that person tells him, and that will be his fatal mistake."

Hongjoong didn't know if it was actual fortune-telling or prophecies that Yongguk made. But it did not matter. He was right anyway.

"What do you reckon we do?"

Yongguk put his bundle down to roll over the bed. Meanwhile, Hongjoong gingerly picked up the flag that was stained with his own blood and spread it out over his lap. It was old and age as well as the sea had left their traces on it, but the fabric was still holding strong, and he had repainted the symbol not too long ago.

He wanted to see it flutter in the wind again soon. With his crew cheering for it.

"I advise you to stay hidden for now. You may keep an eye out for him and keep his back covered, but since we don't know the plan, acting brusquely might ruin it all. As soon as they have freed the missing members, you are free to jump right in front of them naked if you wish to do so. Even if I would hate it if you did that in the middle of the Royal Navy Headquarters. I don't think you got another shadow to switch existence with." A dry chuckle escaped his throat while Hongjoong got comfortable on the bed, cradling his flag close.

It was his treasure, his everything. This flag symbolised to the world who he was, and it had made men kneel and cower in fear. He would keep it close to himself at any time.

"Alright. You can get me in the ball?"

"I myself have an undercover role in the court as a musician and poet. You can be my apprentice for the time being. Do you play an instrument, by any chance?"

"I'm quite good at the piano."

Yongguk shifted his arm away to give Hongjoong a tired smile. He looked positive, at least, putting a little spark of hope in Hongjoong's chest.

"Alright, then I will teach you tomorrow how to play some pieces that are not pirate shanties, but the fine taste of the court. And in a few days, you will accompany me there as an anonymous guest and will have the chance to talk to Seonghwa. Savvy?"

Hongjoong toothily grinned at his friend.

"Savvy."


	4. The Masquerade Ball

"Ah, it's the Duke of the Golden Islands. I'm elated to greet you here this year, too, Sir."

The lackey gave a deep bow, nearly sweeping over the floor in the process. Yongguk responded with a slight nod of his head. His face did not shift at all behind his mask that covered his eyes and nose. His intricate mask was black and white with golden accents lining it. The upper half was shiny like polished wood and as intensely black as it would get, while the lower half that was covering his nose and parts of his cheeks was white. It looked as if it might have been carved of marble and it fit the expensive black suit and rider boots he was wearing.

Hongjoong looked so plain next to him that he got overlooked easily. His mask was brown and wrapped snugly around his nose and eyes, even forming a little decorative lily up on his forehead. He was wearing a simple suit in a matching colour and made sure to keep his eyes cast to the ground and hands laced in front of his body politely. They tried hard to direct any curious glances at Yongguk instead of him.

"I, too, am thankful for the invitation. This is my apprentice I recommended to the great admiral."

The servant flicked through his orderly list and nodded as he found Yongguk's name. With a flick of his quill, he marked them present.

"We are ready to receive you inside. For now, the violinists are still up, but we are expecting your performances soon." With another deep bow, he motioned them to enter the grand hall behind him that was filled with guests in fancy suits and majestic gowns. There was so much around to steal, and Hongjoong kept having to remind himself to keep his fingers off. Maybe he would get around to a bit of pickpocketing later.

For a second, he let his eyes swipe the room for Seonghwa, but he only found marble pillars, a massive chandelier and a buffet, but no Pirate Prince.

There were too many people to see much anyway. They were all mingling and laughing with each other and having a good time that screamed debauchery and betrayal. They were worse than the crew's umbras could ever be solely out of the reason that the umbras were at least tactlessly straightforward. They were out for blood and bold in their advances to get it. These people, however, slaved away under their hierarchy and a system that was based on money. And to rise in that society, they put others underneath them and used them as stepladders. Hongjoong detested them with all of his heart. He would rather be considered the scum of the earth than life under such tight rules.

He tried not to snarl at the party guests too snidely so he would not stick out like a sore thumb. Instead, he kept to their plan and remained invisible behind Yongguk as they made their way over to the musicians' corner. There were some people crowded here who watched the gentlemen play while some important someone overlooked the whole thing. Yongguk went to greet him and introduced Hongjoong too. Again he played the role of the shy newcomer and tried to put as much naivete and innocence in his eyes so nobody would suspect a thing. Multiple people cooed at him, falling right for the act.

Yongguk was asked to play a piece first, so Hongjoong just mingled around and struggled to politely fend off anybody that tried to appeal to him. There were a few women who asked him their cheeky questions a tad too straightforwardly, and every time, Hongjoong forced himself not to grin sinisterly at them. He could make these mannerly females scream and faint in under five minutes, yet they treated him like a little boy they could play with.

There was no trace of Seonghwa, even when Hongjoong was asked to play the piano for them.

Still, he stayed true to his character courageously even when every form of his being screamed at him to whip out a dagger and bathe the room in the blood of the pretentious royals inside. Instead of giving in to that need, though, he ignored them all and carefully put his gloved fingers down on the keys. They had put a wooden stick and some cotton in the empty hole of his left hand's little finger so he could hide the telltale scar and still use the keys.

Calmly, he started playing. He engrossed himself in the music and forgot his surroundings with its help. He had always liked music. He remembered a time a few years ago when they had still had a skilled drummer on board. He had always just thrummed away on something and soon gotten the whole ship into an infectious rhythm that made them dance their lives away. Pirates thrived off of music, and Hongjoong sometimes wished one of his men would pick up on a musical skill. Youjin had played the harmonica, but he had only ever done so for himself, not for the fun of the crew.

Maybe Hongjoong would invest in a piano as soon as he was back on the ship. He could play in his room and let the whole ship celebrate the music outside. But it would be exciting and happy tuned he would play, not the slow and tedious trots they liked here.

When Hongjoong lifted his eyes from the keys as he lost contact with his thoughts that were far gone, Seonghwa was right in front of him.

The man was dressed in blindingly white clothes that were decorated with shiny pearls and heavy brocade. The lapels of his beige tailcoat were filled with golden patterns that put beautiful little accents on the jacket. He was also wearing a white cravat, showing no skin whatsoever safe for his hands and face, and yet; he looked delectable. Today, he was put together. His hair looked soft and hung curly in his forehead, and his black mask that was dotted with golden freckles sat snugly around his attentive eyes.

When their gazes meet for a fleeting moment, Hongjoong's stomach swooped. His husband looked like an actual prince now, and Hongjoong loved it.

However, Seonghwa's eyes didn't halt. They swiped over Hongjoong cluelessly as he went back to the conversation he was having with a tall brunette woman.

Hongjoong carefully listened in and tried to ignore how Seonghwa was leaning so elegantly with one arm on the black piano, while his second hand was holding his glass filled with a golden liquid. His posture was open and relaxed, but he held himself with the same dignity as anybody else in the room. He had become the perfect actor over the years.

"Ah, we were hoping so bad to see her today! You keep telling us how marvellous your wife is, yet you never bring her to these events, dear Marquis!" She was speaking in an elegant accent that Hongjoong believed to be considered attractive in the upper classes of society. He held back his snort. If only she knew that boy was into pirate slang to the point of coming nearly from that alone.

"Ah, as I said, my spouse is not at the best of health right now." Seonghwa forced a smile on his lips that looked all wrong in such distinct ways. It seemed to work on the woman, still. "Maybe next time. I'm sure you would get along so well with each other."

Oh, sure. Hongjoong completely adored that necklace he could see shimmering on the woman's decollete. It would look great in his collection. They would get along so well.

"I'll wait until next time then! Rumours are going around that you might be swindling about said lovely lady and are just too shy to accept anybody else's advances."

Seonghwa laughed, short and tastefully as he lifted his glass to his full lips to take a sip. He did not take his eyes off the woman for even a second, and Hongjoong could see that she took it as a signal and blushed to the tips of her ears. However, Hongjoong knew far better how that gaze was to be read. It was like that of a poised panther, ready to kill. Seonghwa was playing with her effortlessly, and she had stumbled into his sticky web of lies with hearts clouding her eyes.

"You are a sharp one, Mylady. But you see, we fear there has been some contact with one of those scum. A pirate."

At that, the woman scandalously clasped her gloved hand over her lips. Hongjoong decided he liked her white lace gloves. Less so her opinion on pirates, though.

She stepped closer towards Seonghwa to speak in a hushed tone, not caring for the ordinary musician right behind her.

"Oh, dear me! Don't tell me he has defiled her! What a tragedy!"

"Nothing like that, no, but she has caught a rare fever from him. Now I really want to take my revenge on this vile creature that has dared to get so close to her, but he is too far..."

Now, she suddenly placed a hand on his arm. Slightly out of etiquette, but Seonghwa took it nonchalantly. Hongjoong watched him create the perfect trap with narrowed eyes.

"Oh! I think I may have heard about that! Is it those really dangerous ones? The three that got sent over to Headquarters? I've heard that their trial won't push through already because of some discords between the higher-ups."

A slight tick to Seonghwa's jaw got noticed by Hongjoong's trained eyes only, but apart from that, he stayed calm.

"Precisely, I think it was one of them. If only I had some sort of rank to get a word in. I would vouch for their misdeeds right away. If I have to lose another person to them, then-" He ended on a sad sigh that made Hongjoong smirk to himself.

The woman was hectic, doing her best to calm him down.

"I know just the person for you! My brother has close ties to the headquarters, and if you tell them you have another complaint to make about them, they might allow you in! But seeing them might be hard, as they are in their cells and the trials won't be held publicly... Maybe you can appear as a witness, though! You are a man of some rank, after all!"

Seonghwa smiled charmingly at her and patted her fingers that were still clutching his sleeve.

"You are such a good person, I don't know what I would have done without your help. Please do notify your brother. I shall meet with him, and we can have a grand dinner in celebration when those pirates finally hang from the ropes they belong on."

She blushed again and nodded happily before retreating. She seemed not fully satisfied since Seonghwa's allegedly sick spouse was still in her way, but for now, it appeared as if she was willing to wait until that problem resolved itself. It would never get that far, but Hongjoong did not need to tell her that. He was feeling very healthy these days.

The woman just breathed in to continue talking, when out from the dancing crowd another woman appeared. She politely greeted Seonghwa with the same awe-struck eyes as anybody else in the room, and then pulled the other woman away to go introduce her to some other famous person.

Hongjoong had not even been there for that long, and he was already bored out of his mind.

Smoothly, he averted his eyes from the scene, so it would not appear as if he had stared and concentrated on finishing his piece. After him, the flutes finally took over, and he was allowed some rest.

As soon as the first sweet tunes settled in, Hongjoong shook his hands out with a sigh. They were too small for playing, he kept getting cramps.

He stood to some sickenly sweet compliments that were delivered stiffer than any plank on the Precious. He received them with little smiles and bows, but his eyes were already set on Yongguk again. He had heard a lot of new information today, and he did not want to challenge his luck.

However, before he could get to the other man, two white shoes primly stepped in his path, making him halt.

As he curiously glanced up, it was Seonghwa again. He was not smiling now, but Hongjoong could see that he had painted over his scars with some colour that resembled his skin. He should not stare at the man's mouth right now.

With a muttered excuse, Hongjoong tried to dodge him, only to fail when Seonghwa stepped right into his path once more, creating a barricade.

This time, Hongjoong questioningly met his eyes. He wanted to avoid being too close so the man would not get suspicious, but now that their eyes met, his heart melted in his chest. He was also not used to looking up at Seonghwa this much, but today he found himself liking it.

"Can I help you?" Hongjoong spoke slightly higher on purpose, trying to assume a different character once again.

A subtle smile began to play on Seonghwa's lips now.

"Fancy a dance?"


	5. Slow Dancing

Hongjoong hesitated, nervously looking around. The idea sounded great but he was pushing his luck already. With them being so close, it would be only a matter of time until Seonghwa detected his true identity. 

However, Seonghwa coming here to ask him to dance in front of everybody despite his status as a Marquis showed that he already had his own suspicions. He would not risk being seen with a simple musician boy if not for a good reason. Thus, running now might make Hongjoong appear all the shadier.

Thus, he pretended to blush and hide away in his shoulder. Shyly, he twirled a lock of his hair with his fingers.

"Oh, but... Are you not of far too high rank to be wasting your time with an ordinary pianist just as me, Sir?" He took extra care of his speech, too, not missing out a single syllable. His pirate remarks would be a dead giveaway.

"Well, I'm a man of exceptions. You would find me full of surprises. Allow me this one dance as an exchange for the beautiful piece you played for us?" Seonghwa bowed formally in front of Hongjoong, and the poor pirate did not even know what to do with himself. His insides were a jumbled mess of feelings, and while he wanted to throw all caution overboard and have fun with Seonghwa, he was also still keenly aware of where they were.

Still, he complied slowly. He handed his right hand over to slip into the one Seonghwa had offered to him. He was not wearing his ring today because he had been scared it might get recognised, and now he was glad he had foreseen that. The first thing Seonghwa's sly fingers did was to brush over the place where the ring would sit curiously.

So he was at least reminded to some extent of Hongjoong. It was not hard; after all, there was only so much he could change about his appearance. However, his death still seemed to be a good enough alibi for Seonghwa not to question it further. Hongjoong could again see the sadness, the yearning hidden behind the mask of calmness in Seonghwa's eyes. Yet, he seemed closed-off, too. He was telling himself there could be no way.

"You liked it? There are not many who appreciate my art." Pretenders, yes, but never people who had any valuable knowledge on the topic. Hongjoong was aware that Seonghwa knew to an extent at least.

Seonghwa led Hongjoong through the room and over to a free spot where they could dance in peace. Hongjoong knew the steps from previous missions like these; he was used to them. So when he settled his hand on Seonghwa's shoulder, and the other man began to lead him, Hongjoong fell into his rhythm smoothly. If Seonghwa was surprised, he did not show it. It was expected of people visiting the court to know these dances.

"I did. It sounded kind of lonely. Yearning as if for a lost lover. It resonated with me. It is a piece I've heard on various courts in my life, but it was never played with such emotion."

Hongjoong tried to fight down the fresh wave of panic that crawled down his spine. That had not been his intent.

"Oh? It must have struck a chord deep within you, Sir. The piece actually conveys the emotions of a new beginning and happiness. It is not meant to be a goodbye. Did you have to say goodbye to someone recently?" Hongjoong quickly spun a lie. Music could be read either way and here he could pretend to be the knowledgeable one.

Seonghwa spun them around, his hand on Hongjoong's back holding him perfectly in place. They were not too close, but also not too far. Seonghwa sure was good at this, better than Hongjoong himself. Hongjoong appreciated it maybe just a little too much to have the taller man take over in his princely role.

"I know you've listened in to our conversation."

Hongjoong felt his stomach swoop, but this time it was not out of worry. He was proud of his husband. He had become such a sharp and observant man. Hongjoong hadn't even noticed him noticing.

"I meant no harm. I have no use for any information I hear within these walls since I lack the influence. You just happened to stand close. Excuse my mistake." The words slipped smoothly from Hongjoong's lips since it was Seonghwa he was telling them to. Had it been anybody else in here, every form of apology would have tasted bile in his throat.

Seonghwa spun them around again, and it was as if the ballroom and the music and people around them had disappeared. There was only Seonghwa now. Seonghwa and his guarded eyes that did not stray from Hongjoong's face.

"I believe you. May I ask for your name?"

Hongjoong could give him none of his usual nicknames since the other man would have known right away. Hectic, he thought of a new one.

"Ai, my name is Ai."

"Ai." Seonghwa gave a satisfied nod. "A good name for a musician. It sticks with people. I'm surprised Yongguk never told me about you. At least as far as I can remember... Are you by any chance one of his-" Seonghwa tilted his head to speak closer at Hongjoong's ear. Hongjoong tried his best not to shiver in his hold. Why the hell was that man so tall? He seemed to engulf Hongjoong completely.

"One of his special friends?"

Hongjoong gave a chuckle as Seonghwa pulled back to get back to dancing normally.

"Indeed, I am no more than a boy with musical talent that he recognised. My dream is to play the piano in front of His Majesty The King one day, but I am still far from that dream. Yongguk simply lends me his influence, so I have a chance to climb the ladder up there. He is a good mentor," Hongjoong explained prudently, making sure to fill the plot holes here and there.

A thoughtful nod was Seonghwa's response.

"If we had met in another life, I might have asked you to become the musician for my home. It lacks the emotion you put in your music. However, since you dream big and my home is anything but, I shall not put in such a request. Still, I wish you the best of luck reaching your goal."

The song was coming to its climax, a quick crescendo building up. The dancers whirled around them faster and faster, the fabrics of their dresses brushing against Hongjoong's legs. He felt himself get nauseous with the intensity of all the spinning and twisting, leaving it all to Seonghwa to lead.

When the music finally reached its peak, everybody dipped their female dancing partners low towards the floor. Hongjoong naturally arched over the arm Seonghwa had put around him, used to their bodies, and his flexibility that came naturally if you grew up on a ship. Thus, his grip on Seonghwa's shoulder stayed politely gentle as he trusted the man not to drop him.

Seonghwa gave a low hum as he leaned over him. His eyes were shining with mirth.

"You remind me so much of somebody, dear Ai. I would love to demask you right now and see your face, so I don't imagine a person I know as a stranger."

Hongjoong chuckled breathlessly before being pulled up again. Seonghwa gently took both of Hongjoong's hands to do so and squeezed them carefully before stepping back wholly. Together with the females, Hongjoong curtseyed before Seonghwa bowed with one white-gloved hand on his chest and one behind his back, too. He was the book example of a perfect gentleman. Yeosang's influence, presumably.

"I can assure you that I am me and me only. Thank you for this dance, Marquis. Maybe we will see each other again one day on another court." 

"The King's court, I shall hope. Farewell, and good luck with your career." Seonghwa nodded at him again and then disappeared in the crowd. Hongjoong observed with narrowed eyes how he went right for Yongguk and decided against doing the same. 

His heart was racing and celebrating in his chest. He may not have gotten a kiss today, but he had felt Seonghwa's body warmth again and got to breathe in his calming scent. His voice had also been music to Hongjoong's ears, and he was positive that there was nothing better on the world right now.

In order to calm himself, he went to do some pickpocketing. It was mediative and left him the time to file away the new information.

Seonghwa had, of course, noticed the similarities Ai had to his Hongjoong. Yet, since he could not expect Hongjoong to appear knowing he was dead, he had just been intrigued. This was perfect. Hongjoong had managed to stay undercover even when facing his husband.

Still, the idea of not just telling Seonghwa hurt him. Every day he spent alive without releasing the man from his pain was like torture for him. He could ease the man's pain anywhen, but he was not allowed to.

Keeping his chin lowered, Hongjoong idly passed through the crowd and relieved them from some rings and wristbands. He pocketed it all before slipping out through the door and asking one of the servants to bring him his bag.

While nobody was looking, Hongjoong put his new treasure away, still distracting himself with those things. Somewhen later, Yongguk stepped up to him.

"It's time to go. I already know where to put you next time so you can go spy on him again."

"Has he told you when he will leave? I want to see him again tonight."

Yongguk sighed, but he nodded slowly.

"He will leave soon, too. You may stalk his window again. Just make sure to take a detour if anybody has their eyes on you now, too."

Hongjoong had risen with his full bag and a blinding smile.

"Savvy, thanks, matey."

-

Hongjoong was huddled in his cloak while he was sitting in the entryway to the house beneath the inn Seonghwa was staying in. He assumed it to be an old door that was rarely used by the personnel since it was barricaded shut, but it was right underneath the window, so Hongjoong could listen in well. The alleys around here were mostly quiet; the drunkards did not frequent them. Only some lonely cats that were searching for food in the dark.

Seonghwa had left his window open today too, maybe as a reminder of the sea breeze. And he was singing. A lonely song that Hongjoong had never heard before. It was slightly repetitive, and had no particular melody, but yet it seemed as if it kept haunting Seonghwa's mind.

_Let's sin' the song o' the seven seas_

_Avast, ye, an' listen now, there be much to say_

_O' waves an' treasure an' stormy days_

_O' mates an' ships an' cannon fire_

_Avast, ye, an' listen now, there be much to say_

_Red be the light on her silver shine_

_Dark the depths o' her night_

_All 'ands 'oay an' raise the roger_

_Uncle Jack won't get us today_

_Thunderin' 'eels be crossin' the planks_

_An' 'is whip be cuttin' sharp_

_Dead men be tellin' no tales_

_So make sure ye can outrun the devil 'imself_

_Let's sin' the song o' the seven seas_

From there on, he kept repeating himself. It was a song about Hongjoong, undeniably. Seonghwa's husky voice was quiet and full of pain as he kept reciting the few lines again and again. After a few times, Hongjoong would have been able to write them down out of memory.

He wanted the song to have a melody. But not a sad one, not yearning in the way that Seonghwa was singing it. It had to be powerful and show a new beginning. It was meant to remember Hongjoong, but Hongjoong wanted it to be his fight theme. He wanted people to fear this song and whisper the lyrics hushedly in the shadows.

Hongjoong listened to Seonghwa sing for a long time. He did not allow himself to fall asleep in that cold corner that protected him from sight. Only after Seonghwa had quietened down and hopefully fallen into a merciful and dreamless sleep, Hongjoong stood from his spot with stiff limbs.

He went home slowly and with the song repeating in his mind for many hours. His hair had been red at that time. And his eyes had always been dark. 

He wondered. Wondered how Seonghwa would react as soon as he came back. Would he be angry? Sad? Disappointed maybe? He would be glad for sure, but would he be able to heal?

Before Hongjoong went to bed, he slipped his ring on his finger again. Without it, he felt as if a piece was missing from him.


	6. Courier Service

"I knocked out the mail carrier for you."

Confused, Hongjoong lifted his eyes from the book in his lap. He was in the middle of reading some weird occult stuff that Yongguk had scribbled down during the process of reviving Hongjoong. It all sounded disgusting and terrifying enough to make Hongjoong's skin crawl, and by now, he was glad he had been out while all of this happened.

"How oddly nice of you. What is your expectation now? Do I gut the milkman to bring him to you as a token of my friendship? I don't know how these things work for magic users."

Yongguk huffed where he just dragged some unconscious boy with a big brown bag inside of the room and dropped him on the ground unceremoniously. His baby blue hat tumbled off his head as he flopped on his face.

Hongjoong grimaced. That would hurt as soon as he woke up.

Yongguk kicked the door shut behind him to keep the cold winter air out and shook some melting snowflakes out of his hair. Not impressed and warmed by the cosy fire behind him, Hongjoong just watched him from his seat on a big armchair.

"No, you smelly pirate. You're going to deliver the mail." Yongguk swiftly opened the bag and sorted through it. It seemed as if he knew exactly what he was looking for, and soon, his slender fingers closed around a single letter.

"I don't think that's a good job for me. The general public usually isn't too happy about a pirate knocking on their doors." Hongjoong sceptically lifted a brow at the man.

In response, Yongguk lazily threw him the letter. It landed right on the page about blood rituals. When Hongjoong casually glanced down at it, it was addressed at a certain Marquis. Immediately, Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at the warlock. With a gummy smile, Yongguk flicked his healthy locks back.

"He was so curious about you yesterday. Make sure he doesn't suspect you too much. Now, the most important part of his journey begins." Yongguk's words carried a distinct warning with them. Yet, he still urged Hongjoong to go instead of staying in the clear. Despite knowing that Seonghwa had his suspicions. How particular.

"What did you tell him?" Hongjoong went over to his boots to start tying them. He was wearing normal ones for once, nothing too flashy. He stole the cap and the scarf of the same colour from the boy on the ground.

"The same thing about musicians as you did. It's reasonable. He didn't say it out loud, but he seemed tempted to ask me whether I have the power to raise the dead."

With a chuckle, Hongjoong tied the scarf around his mouth and pulled the hat down to his eyes.

"You don't. You just always make it weird," he cheekily chuckled at the man and then hurried out of the door before Yongguk could throw a knife at him.

"You are very much alive right now, ungrateful brat!"

With another laugh, Hongjoong pocketed the letter and went out through the cold streets to wander back down to the inn Seonghwa was staying at.

It was snowing today, and the plaster was slippery underneath Hongjoong's feet. Used to the hindrances, he slid down the ice smoothly while dodging people that had less luck and ended up falling into the heaps of snow people were tirelessly shovelling on the sides of the road. Overnight, a lot had piled up already, and the sight of it made Hongjoong miss his crew.

Where were they? Were they here? In another village? Were they having fun playing in the snow or restricted just how Seonghwa was? Hongjoong had spent no winter yet with Seonghwa, but he was positive the man adored playing outside with Tikki when it was all cold.

Distracted, Hongjoong nearly stumbled into a person. He got called out rudely but did not bother to reply. Old geezer could be glad he got away without a sword in his chest.

He went left and then right again, having memorised the way already.

By the time he knocked on the door to the inn, his fingers were red from the cold, and his cheeks felt icy.

"It's open!"

Hongjoong shuffled in quickly, leaving his last white breath outside as the warmth of the parlour surrounded him. It looked comfortably simple with the wooden sitting corners and the fireplace in the back. It had no guests yet either, just feeling homey and quiet.

Hongjoong quickly went over to the counter behind which a young woman was leaning and curiously watching him.

"I got a letter for eh Marquis... Kim?"

Why the hell did it say Kim?

Had Yongguk taken the wrong letter? Or did Seonghwa-

Hongjoong abruptly blushed when he understood. An undercover name, of course.

"Ah, he hasn't left yet today. He's upstairs — room 38. I'll get you some hot drink for your hard work, get it before you leave. We don't want our working class to freeze now, do we?"

Hongjoong met her eyes, smiling.

"Yes, thank you!"

With that, he hurried off and tried not to think too hard about how Seonghwa had just switched his last name to Hongjoong's. It made him all giddy and prideful.

He went up three flights of creaking stairs until he finally arrived.

With another deep breath, he knocked on Seonghwa's door.

There was a pause, nothing happening for a moment. Was he wandering around somewhere?

Then, the creaking of a bed could be heard.

"I'll get it."

Hongjoong froze at that. He should have checked the window first. Seonghwa was with his umbra again.

Helpless, he tried to decide between running and staying as quick as possible and opted for waiting when he heard steps already coming closer - no use in fleeing now.

Luckily, the person who opened was not Seonghwa's umbra, but Seonghwa himself. Even when his double was sitting at the table trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. At least he had turned his head away so a stranger would not be completely confused.

"It's a letter for you!" Like some paradigm of respectfulness, Hongjoong handed over the letter with both hands. He was not wearing gloves today, but he made sure to keep his missing finger well hidden underneath his sleeve so he would not raise any suspicions.

Seonghwa stared at him and the way he had bowed his head politely, so nothing of him was to be seen. After an elongated second, he took the object with his slender hands.

"Thank you."

Seonghwa was just turning to close the door while Hongjoong was inwardly yelling at the drop in his rough voice and how adorable his locks looked today. However, before he got to skip back home and Seonghwa had even grabbed the handle, a third voice stopped both of them.

"Wait. Where did ye leave yer wizard, lad?"

Hongjoong halted in his movements. How did he know? Maybe he could sense Yongguk's magic. It made sense if he had noticed them spying on Seonghwa a few days ago. Their umbras were sharp.

"Excuse me?" Hongjoong chose to play dumb. He could still try and convince the other man that he was not part of Yongguk's secrets if he wanted. For now, he just had to back out smoothly.

Seonghwa nonchalantly opened the letter as if his umbra was not just turning towards Hongjoong and baring his face to him. Hongjoong stayed calm. Twins did exist in the real world, too, even if they could never possibly be this similar. Acting surprised would be the weirder thing to do.

"Ye reek o' black magic so bad that even the cats start cryin' out when ye pass them. Yet ye be no magic-user. Ye be a bein' o' black magic, be ye not?"

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at the second Seonghwa while he tried to find the best possible answer in this scenario. There was no use in hiding it since the demon could clearly smell it. But now what?

"I must say I am quite confused by your presence here, too. I was not expecting such a powerful brother of mine to linger around a mere Marquis."

Seonghwa silently glared at him before motioning him to come in. Hongjoong fearlessly did while Seonghwa closed the door, and went back to the bed to read his mail. He was surprisingly unbothered by this, but then again they had a long history with black magic, too.

"Ye be an interestin' one. 'e bound ye, did nay 'e? I recognise yer energy, but it be subdued. A pact?"

"Something like that, yes. He uses me for simple tasks only, however. He wishes for no riches, and neither did he ask me to kill his enemies."

Gods, Hongjoong had not enough knowledge in this field. By now, he was blubbering out anything that came to mind. He was pretty sure that was what it usually was. Just how Liv had used them.

"Ah, I spy. Seonghwa, ye should keep up with our warlock mate. 'e seems to be doin' interestin' things o'er there. Do ye mind?"

"Do whatever you want." Seonghwa's eyes were still fixated on the paper in front of him as his eyes were quickly skimming the lines.

Restless, Hongjoong glanced back at Seonghwa's umbra who had now stood from his chair and was approaching Hongjoong slowly. His eyes were so much blacker and darker than Seonghwa's, and Hongjoong shivered in exhilaration when he found no emotion inside of them. Just cold hatred and hot desire.

Seonghwa's umbra had by far always been the most attractive out of all of them. While Hongjoong despised him with all of his being, he was also not able to avert his eyes. This side of Seonghwa, this wild and raw one, it spoke to Hongjoong's own darkest desires. Desires that he would never fulfil with Seonghwa because he did not want to hurt the man. His umbra seemed to offer them all, had always done. And Hongjoong hated him for it. Because it was a trap used to lure him into hurting Seonghwa. And he agonised Seonghwa, too.

"What do you want?"

"Just a taste. Let us exchange a bit o' energy, Shadowboy. It sure will boost yer strength." He was still slinking closer as a predator would, his dark hair hanging into his face. He took his eyes off Hongjoong not even once.

"I'd rather not. He bound me by spells, I-

"What be ye 'iding? What be yer identity, an' why do ye keep followin' us?"

Hongjoong started backing up, his hands held up in a gesture of surrender. His heart was pounding away in his chest like the wings of a little bird. He needed an escape, right now.

With warning eyes, he glared at the umbra, still moving backwards. There was the door soon, he could get it open and run fast. He doubted they would come after him, he was not that important.

"I am a mere delivery boy for my wizard. If you do notice me in this town sometimes, it is out of the reason I work here!"

"Show me yer face."

Hectically, Hongjoong turned to follow through with his door plan, only to run right into Seonghwa's chest. He had not noticed the man leaving his seat until then, but now he was suddenly leaning against the door to freedom.

While Hongjoong still stumbled back, Seonghwa nonchalantly reached out for his left sleeve, stabilising him. Too dumbstruck to do anything, Hongjoong just let him as the man gently wrapped his fingers around his wrist and pushed back the fabric with the other hand until he could see Hongjoong's fingers.

This time, the pirate's guts twisted up in a hard knot.

Seonghwa's finger idly brushed over the stump on his little finger before he moved to grasp Hongjoong's other uselessly hanging arm, too. Here, also, he slipped the sleeve down to look at his fingers.

Their rings mirrored each other on both sides.

Hongjoong didn't dare to look into Seonghwa's eyes. Instead, he hid behind the peak of his hat.

Seonghwa took his time looking between both of his hands. By the time he finally spoke again, his voice had dropped even further, making Hongjoong shiver.

"Ye be playin' a dangerous game, Ai. I 'ope ye be aware o' exactly who it be that ye be impersonatin'."

Hongjoong wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him so bad that it was the real him and that he had returned. But Seonghwa's voice was icily cold with hatred already. How could he try to convince him? He would ruin all of the protective walls Seonghwa had built around his sensitive core.

"I swear I'm not who you think I am," Hongjoong muttered quietly under his breath. He was close to Seonghwa, but not close enough. There was still a stupid gap separating them.

"Then, who be ye?"

Hongjoong would tell him. Right now. Life was too short for him to spend it living in lies. So what if Seonghwa became a mess? Hongjoong would be there to catch him and piece him back together patiently. And with him, they could break their mates free in no time. They were a storm together. They could do this.

He just opened his mouth to answer, when on the door behind Seonghwa a sudden knock sounded. Hongjoong's eyes went big, where he had only met the other man's.

"It be time to go. We 'ave to 'urry."

That sounded like Jongho. Relief flooded Hongjoong's heart.

Seonghwa quickly turned, picking up a duffle from the foot of his bed and hastily pushing his letter inside. They had been ready all this time. They were leaving today. Nothing in the room hinted at them ever having been here.

Hongjoong opened his mouth again when Seonghwa rushed past him to open the door. Once more, he was interrupted.

"Take 'im with ye."

With that, Seonghwa swept down the corridor, leaving Hongjoong behind.

His umbra had already hit Hongjoong over the head with a chair before he even got the chance to turn to him.


	7. Where We Belong

Hongjoong awoke in a cell. However, it was at least a cell he was reasonably familiar with, for it was one of the iron cages in the bilge of the Precious.

For a long second, he just laid there and felt his heart fill with the feeling of home. The waves underneath the wooden planks made them sway gently as the sea cradled the ship like her lover. He had missed the smell of water and salt, of all that came with it and the constant wetness surrounding him. Despite this down here being a mouldy and sickening place, it felt like home more than anything else.

He had finally found back.

With a content hum, he sat up only to flinch at the sudden pressure gravity put on his brain. With a curse, he held his hand against the back of his protesting head. It was throbbing with a dull pain that was probably coming from that chair he had been hit with so kindly. At least, there didn't seem to be any fresh blood. He prodded at the prominent bump that had appeared on the hurting spot and sighed as he accepted that it would not stop hurting anytime soon. 

He would just leave it alone and be thankful that he had not suffered any brain damage.

As he looked around, he met Seungmin's eyes. The young man was sitting on the ground outside of Hongjoong's cell and watching him with attentive eyes. As their gazes met, his carefully guarded expression slipped, and his real surprise showed.

Right, nobody had expected Hongjoong to reappear. He was not wearing any mask right now, either. Somehow, he had lost his hat and his scarf, so now his full face was on display, and there was no way they did not recognise him.

Seungmin looked pale, but he chose not to speak. Instead, he quickly rose to his feet and hurried outside to get Seonghwa, presumably. 

Hongjoong pondered just getting out of this cell for a second, but then decided against it. It was dangerous enough right now to be here since Seonghwa was already mad at him. So instead, he just leaned back against a wall and waited for his verdict. His insides were twisted with nervousness, not for his own fate, but how it would affect Seonghwa and the crew.

Indeed, he was soon collected, but not by Seonghwa himself. It was his shadow who came to get Hongjoong, and he was alone.

"Did ye 'ave a good night's sleep, precious?" His cruel grin twisted Seonghwa's features into a sinister expression of mockery. Hongjoong scowled at him even as he came over to unlock the cell door with his pretty hands.

"Ye know, don't ye?"

The umbra gave a humourless chuckle.

"I do. But 'e doesn't. 'e doesn't _want_ to know, Captain."

Hongjoong sprung to his feet the second the door was open. Seonghwa's umbra just smirked smugly as he got grabbed by the collar of his black shirt and was pushed against the cell on the other side of the corridor. His back crashed against the iron bars loudly, and the shadows on his face shifted with the swaying lamp on the ceiling.

"What does 'e think, then?! 'e can't possibly still think I be somebody with cunnin' similarities to 'is dead 'usband, down to every scar."

The dark Seonghwa looked down at him with lidded eyes, his smirk never leaving his lips. The shadows wrapped around them in the silent darkness, the one swinging lantern making the whole setting eerie.

"'e thinks ye be one o' us. 'e thinks ye be the umbra. 'e thinks ye lived while the real one died an' 'e 'ates it," he sneered while his hands came up to grab at Hongjoong's waist firmly. Hongjoong froze at the way his body immediately reacted to the other's familiar form. This was not the right one.

"So 'e thinks that there I be dead. An' this here appearance 'ere be me umbra who came to taunt 'im?"

"Aye. Now 'ow could ye possibly explain to 'im ye be not? There be no proof." With a giggle, the umbra leaned forward to tower over Hongjoong. The position forced Hongjoong to arch his back into his grip to lean away. He hated how he shivered at the way their bodies aligned.

"'e'll kill ye. 'e be up there with a sword waitin' to see yer damned 'ead roll once again. An' this time, there be no turnin' aft. 'e'll kill ye again, Hongjoong."

Growling, Hongjoong pulled him away from the bars only to slam him right back into them brutally. He had to stand on his tiptoes to regain some semblance of power over the other man, but he didn't care. The grip the other man had on him rather supported him.

Sick satisfaction filled Hongjoong when he heard a pained gasp escape this Seonghwa's lips.

"Shut yer damn mouth. 'e did nay kill me the first time an' 'e won't kill me now. I know that this be yer doin'. That it be ye, who messes with 'im. What will ye do after 'e killed me?! Laugh an' tell 'im it been the real me? Blimey, ye be sick like that. But ye forget that Hwa an' I 'ave beat ye monsters more than once." He kept his voice low as he hissed at the other man. Yet, it was no use. The enemy did not stop grinning, knowing which rank he had as Seonghwa's doppelganger. Hongjoong could not do anything to hurt him if he wanted to make sure Seonghwa would be alright.

"I been the one who been there fer 'im after ye left. I know what's goin' on in 'is mind best out o' everybody. An' ye, little cap'n, ye be the one who shouldn't 'ave come aft."

"I be sure Yongguk will soon figure out a way to kill ye bastard an' I be the one to see to it personally." Hongjoong's warm breath hit the other man's lips from their closeness and got reflected right back. His chest brushed against the other man's with every breath either of them took.

"Ye do that. If ye survive yer murderous 'usband." With that, he surged forward to kiss Hongjoong square on the lips. 

Hongjoong felt his eyebrow tick at the act, yet his body wanted to melt into this embrace. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend that this was Seonghwa and his welcoming mouth that just made every thought in Hongjoong's head grow foggy. Seonghwa might have been no mere than a clueless, innocent boy at first, but his lips never stopped to get Hongjoong more and more addicted to him.

It was cruel to kiss him with those lips if the person in front was not Seonghwa.

Roughly, Hongjoong fisted a hand into the other man's hair to pull him away. The umbra grew cheeky again, catching Hongjoong's lower lip with his teeth hard enough that it hurt when Hongjoong yanked him off.

Hongjoong glared at him full of heat, while the man just smirked back darkly. He looked more than some sort of twisted demon ever before in this ambience. Or rather than a demon, it was a fallen angel who had come to cause havoc to the world while looking terribly beautiful while he did.

"What be ye doin'?" Hongjoong snapped at him impatiently even when his gaze was stuck to those lips. He wanted to kiss them as bad as he wanted to cut them out of this demon's face.

"This might be the last time ye e'er get to kiss 'is lips. Don't ye want to make use o' that?"

Hongjoong abruptly let go of him and pushed his arms off. Surprisingly diplomatic, the umbra just complied lazily grinning. He put his hands into his pockets instead.

"I'd rather 'ave that kiss we 'ad on our weddin' day when I died the first time be the last. Keep yer paws to yerself."

"As ye wish. But don't come cryin' later. I be supposed to cuff ye, by the way. Will ye comply?"

Wordlessly, Hongjoong held his hands out. 

Their cuffs were dirty with the dried blood of the many people before them who had been chained up with them. The heavy metal snapped around one of Hongjoong's wrists with the feeling of a door falling shut forever.

Hongjoong's hands were trapped behind his back within seconds, yet he still stood straight and with his gaze flaming.

However, before they could walk up those stairs, Seonghwa's double kissed him again.

This time, it was much harder to struggle since Hongjoong was cuffed and backed up against the iron bars with no escape route near. He angrily kicked at the man while he kissed him, only to have his hand dig into his windpipe seconds later.

Hongjoong tried to hold out for as long as possible, but in the end, even he could not deny his body the need for air.

He kissed back reluctantly from that point on. As long as he allowed the other man's long tongue to roam, he was allowed to breathe at least.

It was over within a few tense minutes that Hongjoong tried to forget as soon as possible afterwards. Not this Hwa. This was not the one he desired.

"I ne'er got me last kiss. Ye killed me lubber, too. It be only fair that I want ye gone." With that, the umbra roughly grabbed Hongjoong by the pack of his shirt and hauled him towards the stairs. Like a ragdoll, Hongjoong let him since he was still busy with wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

Gods, he hated those guys. He just wanted to have his crew and Seonghwa back.

Thankfully, it was night. Hongjoong had expected to be hit by harsh sunlight immediately after stepping outside, but there was only a far spread of stars above them. There was no snow falling right now, but the deck was still slippery with a thin layer that must have gathered there during the day.

It was cold, but Hongjoong stubbornly refused to give in to the freezing temperatures. Not when they were walking right towards Seonghwa, who stood in the middle of the deck with the red-rosed sword gripped in his hand tightly.

Some crew members were milling around, but most seemed too shy to come over and watch the show. They were busy with keeping the ship secure from frost and shovelling the snow away. 

Hongjoong caught a glimpse of Yunho's tall figure at the wheel, but their eyes did not meet.

When they arrived, Hongjoong got kicked down in front of the captain. His knees hit the planks hard, cold wetness immediately soaking his pants.

He kept his gaze lowered for a second, memories flashing of having a pure and blond Seonghwa kneeling in front of him just like this. It felt like a lifetime has passed since then.

Then, the tip of a sword found its place underneath his chin. The pressure urged him to lift his head, and slowly, he followed the movement. He met Seonghwa's guarded eyes with every single one of his emotions laid bare.

Seonghwa swallowed but kept his composure. His long black coat hugged his form, fittingly, fluttering just around his legs. He looked gorgeous under the night sky, and Hongjoong was in love all over again.

"I don't understand. How could you live, yet he didn't? Another curse from Liv?"

"Why do you think that I'm the double?" Hongjoong did not mean to sound so choked up already, but he could blame that on the sword that Seonghwa was holding so elegantly to his neck.

"I saw the real him die. With my own two eyes. But I never saw his shadow do."

Hongjoong was positive he knew. He knew, but just how his doppelganger had said, he did not _want_ to know.

"Hwa... Ask Yongguk. You know what he can do."

"You are not human. You are made of magic."

"Because I'm just like Kira was. You remember Kira, right?"

Yongguk had told Hongjoong that Kira had left this world by now. She had helped him a lot in reviving Hongjoong, and after they had found a way, Yongguk had sent her first to make sure he made no mistakes with Hongjoong.

Seonghwa's gaze hardened.

"Impossible. Kira didn't die, not like you did, anyway. Stop taunting me like this. I have suffered for too long to have you ruin all that." He sounded hurt again, and it felt as if Hongjoong, too, got stabbed by a hundred knives. He felt guilty.

"Hwa-"

"Don't. You will trick my mind again. I won't let that happen. Goodbye to you, too. Tell my actual Joong that I love him." With that, he lifted the sword, ready to strike. Hongjoong immediately dropped his head to his chest, ready to receive Seonghwa's anger and fury. Yet, he still called out again in a desperate last attempt.

"I went to see your mom! And Tikki! you know they would have recognised a wrong me!"

"Lies!"

"Your mom gave me stew. She told me my hands were surprisingly small, yet they took such good care of your heart. She asked me to bring you home because she has married Yonghwan by now, and she misses you!"

"Stop!"

Hongjoong did not.

"She keeps worrying, but she accepted me right back in her arms. And Tikki, too. Tikki knew how different my shadow was from me, so-"

Hongjoong did not open his eyes as he heard the sword clatter next to him on the ground.

Seonghwa was breathing harshly above him.

"She is worried because she is getting old. Said I was too young for this life, yet she understood me so well. And she understood why you loved me." Hongjoong was trembling from the nerves and the cold by now. His eyes were blurry with tears that had yet to fall.

He was not afraid to die. He never had been. Death had always been his closest companion. But he was afraid of dying again while looking at Seonghwa's face. That pain had ripped him apart once already. And he was afraid to leave Seonghwa with the aftermath of finding out.

"She said we are so different in every aspect besides our love for you." Hongjoong's forehead touched the cold ground as his body lost every tension. He was curled up on the floor by now, shivering and with hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

Seonghwa was no more than a step away from him, frozen in place.

A cold breeze ruffled Hongjoong's hair and crept under his loose shirt to bite at his skin.

Long seconds of shared agony passed while everyone was quiet for once. Not even the waves seemed to dare to make any noise.

Then, a broken sob on a cold night.

"Hongjoong?"


	8. Tears and Snow

Hongjoong was still kneeling on the wet floor while the freezing cold crept into his bones and made his limbs go stiff. The sea breeze ruthlessly ruffled through his hair and threw it into his face as he breathed harshly into the spot of melting snow underneath his face.

It took Seonghwa a moment, but then he cumbersomely dropped onto his knees in front of Hongjoong. The sword was forgotten next to them as he rustled with his clothes and seconds later, his warm coat covered Hongjoong's curled up form. His hands were shaking noticeably as he pulled it to protect most of Hongjoong with uncoordinated movements.

"You- you big idiot, how- Why did you-" His voice broke as soon as he tried to speak. Hongjoong would have liked to reply, but he, too, was choked up by tears. Everything inside of him hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt. It felt as if all the shattered parts were finally mending back together. He was endlessly relieved to be back finally.

Hongjoong curled up more around his throbbing heart to preserve some warmth for it to heal. He had no strength left to stand up again.

"Here, come- Come here." Seonghwa swallowed audibly as he carefully pushed his hands underneath Hongjoong's body. He pulled him right into his arms and against his warm form that Hongjoong had missed so much. Instinctively, he snuggled up against the pirate's chest. Home. He was really back home.

"Need a 'and?"

"Don't you dare touch him, you- Don't ever lay a hand on him." Seonghwa shooed his shadow back to his feet with a growl before he started to walk up the stairs slowly. He didn't take his eyes of Hongjoong, drinking in every detail of his face while Hongjoong did the same to him. Finally, gentle kindness and affection were back in Seonghwa's eyes.

They passed Yunho, who also did not seem to be able to get a word out. However, he also did not need to. Seonghwa passed him without a glance as he hurriedly carried Hongjoong inside of his chambers.

It was a little chilly inside here, too, since a ship never really got warm, but Seonghwa made do. He quickly put Hongjoong down on the bed and wrapped him in every blanket he could find at the moment.

He was moving so automatically. He was tending to Hongjoong and kept searching his face for reactions, but Hongjoong felt as if he looked right through him.

It seemed like the shock was too big for him to understand.

The next time he came over to bring another pillow to Hongjoong, he effortlessly caught the other man at the wrist. Their warm skin seemed to tingle.

Seonghwa froze, his eyes searching Hongjoong's face. Both of them had stopped crying by now, but Seonghwa looked pale. Sickly so.

"Stop," Hongjoong whispered with his voice still rough. The warmth around him was buttering him up and making pleasant shudders run down his spine, but it was not enough. He needed Seonghwa, and he needed him awake.

"I was going to make you tea." Seonghwa murmured back just as distractedly. His eyes once again scrutinised every bit of Hongjoong he still saw, disbelieving.

"No need. Just come here and stay close to me."

Seonghwa hesitated for the first time. His eyes flicked down to the hand that was holding his wrist, to the ring on Hongjoong's finger. He breathed out shakily. Before he spoke, he made sure to meet Hongjoong's eyes.

"Be honest with me... Will you leave again? Is this- this meeting. Is it limited? Can you stay only for a few days? Or have I gone insane now?"

Hongjoong softened at the insecure question. With a hum, he pulled Seonghwa in at his wrist until the man was forced to put a knee down on the bed. His resistance was weakening by the second, but he had yet to give in.

"It's not. I'm back for good. I was supposed to wait until you got your job done so I wouldn't mess up the mission, but I couldn't be without you for so long. I'm here, Hwa, and I'm here to stay." He gave another gentle pull to Seonghwa's arm, and this time, the pirate followed the movement.

He just let his body drop over Hongjoong without any form of resistance. It seemed as if the strings that had controlled his jerky routine so far had been cut, and what was left was a broken doll that needed someone to bring it back to life.

And that was what Hongjoong was here to do.

He received Seonghwa with open arms and rolled him down to join him at his side. As Hongjoong turned to face him, the man's eyes were reddened and filled with tears all over again. He tried to blink them away stubbornly while Hongjoong just softly smiled at him.

"You truly came back?" Seonghwa sniffled pitifully, still holding onto Hongjoong for dear life.

"Aye, I did. I would be a bad captain and an even worse husband if I didn't." Hongjoong held Seonghwa with one protective arm as the other moved to pull the blankets over his lover, too. Seonghwa let him while his hands gingerly cradled Hongjoong's face as if it was a precious gem. His eyes flickered over Hongjoong's features tirelessly as if he had to memorise them all over again.

"I won't go anywhere, Seonghwa." Hongjoong tucked in the last blanket behind Seonghwa's back before wrapping his second arm around the man, too. They were close enough for their legs to entangle by now, so they could melt their bodies against each other again after a long time.

Seonghwa's thumbs brushed over Hongjoong's cheeks, carefully repainting his bone structure and face shape. His fingers were roughened from work, but still elegant and gentle in their every feathery touch.

"You'll stay?"

"Aye. I won't leave again. I'm sorry for doing it the last time."

A faint smile ghosted over Seonghwa's lips, making his exhausted face relax a bit. He let go of Hongjoong's face to wrap him tightly into his arms too, so they could fully embrace each other. Hongjoong snuggled up into the junction of his neck and shoulder. Alleviated that they had overcome the worst, he breathed in the scent of his lover, enjoying it cloud his senses once again.

"It has only been four months, but it felt like an eternity. I had given up all hope."

Hongjoong opened his eyes ruefully and noticed multiple bite marks and purple bruises covering the skin of Seonghwa's neck. As he carefully hooked his fingers into the man's shirt to pull it down just a bit, he also found fresh and already healing scratches travelling down over his tanned shoulder.

Hongjoong closed his eyes again.

"I'm sorry. Yongguk sends his apologies, too. He tried to be faster, but... I'm just glad to be back."

Seonghwa was warm in his arms. Warm and very much alive. Hongjoong's fingers fit perfectly over the curve of Seonghwa's waist. Seonghwa wrapped right around him as if they had never been apart. They felt like two pieces of one that were useless when broken but fit together as a whole.

"I'm also glad. Overjoyed, probably, but you know, I still can't believe I'm holding you in my arms again. I'm afraid you will be gone in the morning like another dream," Seonghwa murmured into his hair before gently running his fingers through it. His other hand had dipped under Hongjoong's shirt by now to massage the dimples at the bottom of his spine gently. It was a faint touch, just there to anchor Seonghwa to the feeling of him.

Hongjoong angled his head back where it was resting on the man's upper arm so he could look at him up close.

Seonghwa was still as beautiful as he had ever been, even if he looked as if he needed rest, a lot of it.

"I won't. I'll stay here and help you get our friends back. We can start anew right where we took off. The break is over now. I'm back to be your husband and captain."

Seonghwa chuckled wetly into his hair, trying not to cry too much.

"That sounds wonderful, Hongjoong. So beautiful." He pressed a shaky kiss against the crown of Hongjoong's head. Hongjoong gently soothed him with back rubs as his body started shaking with sobs once again.

"You can cry, Hwa. Let it all out, and tomorrow, I will explain to everybody what happened. And then we can heal." He pulled the man close again as he curled up against Hongjoong. He clung to him as if he was never planning to let go, and Hongjoong would allow him.

They cried out all the pain in their heart under the warm blankets until both of them fell into a deep and exhausted sleep. Not a second, they let go of each other, holding on lovingly.

-

Hongjoong awoke in the middle of the night to a headache.

Crying so much had been a bad idea with his earlier injury, and his throat felt as if he had just spent a week walking the desert.

With a quiet groan, he lifted his head off Seonghwa's arm and cooed inaudibly at the mark that his ear had left on the man's flesh.

Seonghwa's other hand slid off Hongjoong's waist as he sat up and tiredly blinked down at the sleeping man for a second.

He had mostly buried his face in the blanket, and his eyes were still puffy from crying where they were not hidden away. However, he looked relaxed and less pale than before. Tufts of his soft hair peeked out under the blanket too, and Hongjoong playfully pushed his fingers through them. Seonghwa did not stir.

With his happy heart warming him up, Hongjoong quietly slipped out of bed and went to get something to drink. He prepared a glass for Seonghwa, too, knowing he might be too lazy to get up to fill it in the morning.

After that, he took Seonghwa's coat from earlier that they had somehow kicked on the floor and wrapped it around his frame before stepping out on the deck.

The night air was chilly, but not as crystal clear as before. Thick grey clouds were hanging in the sky and powdering fat snowflakes over the ship and the ocean. It looked beautiful in the eerie tranquillity of the night. The frozen wheel stood lonely, and Hongjoong gently brushed his fingers over it as he slowly walked down the stairs.

Somewhere, the sweet tunes of a violin played a hypnotic lullaby.

Hongjoong knew who it was all too well. Yeosang had played the violin at that time also, when Hongjoong had come to get him out of his birdcage in the castle. With his fingers brushing over the railing next to him, Hongjoong slowly stepped through the snow and up to the very tip of the ship.

Yeosang was there, dressed in a blindingly white coat and playing his violin for the figurehead.

Hongjoong stepped in next to him with the snow under his boots crunching loud enough to alert the other of his presence. For a while, he just listened while Yeosang finished his piece.

Hongjoong had always thought that the sound of a violin was sad and melancholy. But after hearing other people play it, he had understood that it was just Yeosang who played it like that. He only ever did it when he was in pain.

When the last sweet tunes disappeared in the void, he slowly let the instrument and the bow sink, not taking his eyes off the ocean. His whisper came quietly. The snow was wetting his hair.

"Ahoy, Captain."

Hongjoong gave him a gentle smile.

"Ahoy, Yeosangie. 'ave ye been well?"

Yeosang chuckled quietly, disbelieving just how anybody else.

"I'm fine now. Welcome back aboard."

Hongjoong turned to lean his back against the railing when he heard someone closing in on them. It was Seonghwa wrapped in a grey blanket. He had not seen them so far, busy with setting his feet right where Hongjoong's trail led him.

Hongjoong smiled stupidly in love at his dork.

"It feels good to be back. I missed this."

Yeosang hummed as he looked back down on his violin.

"Guess I'll lock this away again." He sounded unsure. It was part of his past that he liked to forget, so every time he played the damned thing, it ripped open old wounds again.

"I be thinkin' about gettin' a piano. Why don't we turn it into somethin' nice? Let's 'ave music fill this ship once again. The mournin' be o'er."

Seonghwa climbed the steps to them while holding onto the railing with a blanket-covered hand, always careful. Hongjoong watched him so he would not fall.

"That's a nice idea."

By now, Seonghwa finally lifted his head to search for Hongjoong. When he found him, a big crooked smile brightened up his face, and he ignored the rest of the trail to just run over instead. He crashed into Hongjoong with a big hug, wrapping both of them into the blanket as he snuggled in close.

Chuckling, Hongjoong slung his arms around Seonghwa, only to notice that the man seemed to suddenly have become naked save for his boots and blanket. Humming, he pulled him closer by the waist, pressing their bodies together. Seonghwa contently sighed into his neck.

Yeosang smiled brotherly at them, looking tired himself.

"I guess I'll stop playing my sad ghost songs from now on, then. It's good to have you back, Captain. Let's see each other at breakfast." With that, Yeosang tapped out to go back to his own lover to share warmth with. Hongjoong called a heartfelt 'thanks' after him.

After that, he was occupied with Seonghwa, who finally kissed him, right then and there. His lips were just as soft as Hongjoong remembered them to be. Thick white snowflake tumbled into his black hair as they kissed in the night, forgetting everything that was not each other for a while.


	9. Flower Tattoos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's ce softy soft soft smut

Seonghwa was doing a great job of warming Hongjoong up. His warm breath filled him with life and new fire that Hongjoong returned full of devotion. It was warm and toasty under the blanket, but Hongjoong was also wearing a coat, so he was worried about Seonghwa and his alluring state of undress. With his hands on the other man's warm and slender waist, he tried to find the right moment to lead Seonghwa back inside.

However, he took a while. It was always just a little more, just one more brush of soft lips against his, one more flick of his tongue. Their warm breaths mingled, but Hongjoong could still feel his ears freezing.

It took him far too long, but somewhen Hongjoong managed to part his lips from Seonghwa's with the will of a God. And even then, he nearly surged right back in when he saw how inviting the other's mouth looked, pretty like rose petals.

"Let's go back in. It be cold 'ere." He sneakily moved his hands deeper, cupping the man's behind to squeeze it playfully. Chuckling, Seonghwa lowered his head to nibble at Hongjoong's ear, warming it up again with what felt like the stabs of thousand needles. His body felt good pressed against Hongjoong's, but there were too many clothes between them, and too much ice around them for him to approve of the situation.

"Will you make love to me?"

Hongjoong grinned against the other man's neck before placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder where the blanket had slipped off to allow a sliver of smooth skin to peek through. Seonghwa shuddered in his arms.

"Aye, I will. We still 'ave a 'oneymoon to catch up with. I 'ad planned fer so many things." Hongjoong left a trail of feathery kisses over Seonghwa's shoulder and neck, moving up until his jaw. Seonghwa willingly bared his neck for him.

"You have to show me all of them. And don't leave anything out."

With a last kiss underneath the man's ear, Hongjoong pulled back. He let his hands slip from Seonghwa's warm flesh, too, and made sure the man wrapped himself up securely in his blanket.

"I will. I can't delete the last four months out o' yer mind, but... I will try to give ye just as many jolly memories o' our weddin'. Maybe I will even try fer more." Hongjoong took the other man's hand in his and interweaved their fingers before he began to lead his lover back into his cabin. Seonghwa's trail in the snow that was followed by a line of the blanket dragging after him looked adorable.

"I never once regretted that day. A lot happened that brought so much pain upon us, but... I never once thought about changing things. Because I still got to marry you," Seonghwa softly murmured behind him.

Hongjoong's heart clenched with bitter-sweet pain as he smiled inwardly. Reassuringly, he gave Seonghwa's hand a little squeeze that was returned right back. His fingers seemed so small compared to Seonghwa's. Again, he was reminded of his mother's words.

"Thanks, Hwa. It be reassurin' to know that even with all that, ye wouldn't 'ave turned aft time." Hongjoong stepped up the stairs and kept an eye on Seonghwa to make sure he would not slip on the ice-glazed wood.

"Never. Especially now that you're back. If I had changed that day, something else might have happened without you returning. It was all worth it, in the end. Yongguk deserves a whole throne for that."

Hongjoong giggled as he pushed the door to the cabin open and led Seonghwa inside. It was a bit warmer now, both of them having heated up the room before with their body warmth, and it protected them from the chilly breeze. Sighing, Hongjoong kicked his boots off in some corner with Seonghwa's following close behind.

"Let's still take them few days off as soon as we 'ave our mates aft an' be in the clear. Let's just go into some town an' disappear fer a while," Hongjoong suggested as he peeled the coat off him, letting go of a humming Seonghwa in the process. The other man was quick to jump right back into bed and huddle under the warm covers to sigh contently. Hongjoong watched him fondly as he undressed and snatched the oil that Seonghwa still kept on the nightstand.

As he crawled over to his lover, he also finally noticed the walls. The moonlight was weak from this angle, but Hongjoong took notice of the multitude of drawings that lined the boards. They were put up with nails and were all over each other, disrupting Seonghwa's usual orderly systems.

And it was all Hongjoong.

His eyes, the line of his body, his boots... Hongjoong could see pictures of him sitting on his desk, standing at the wheel, or fighting in a battle. There were some more that were too much in the shadows for him to see, or the lines were not dark enough, but the message was all the same.

Seonghwa had missed him so very much that it pained Hongjoong even to imagine it.

But it was a topic for another day. Something that they needed the time to cry about once again. So Hongjoong shut his tongue for now. Seonghwa had asked him for something else, and he would deliver that.

Seonghwa held the covers open for him as he slipped underneath, getting cocooned by the warm nest they had built. Wordlessly, he slid over into Seonghwa's arms and caught the man in another sweet kiss as he moved to adjust their positions.

He wanted to be as close to Seonghwa as possible, and Seonghwa seemed to have the same thought. With his thigh settled over Hongjoong's hip so Hongjoong could reach better, they got lost in their affectionate kisses once again. Hongjoong made sure to respond to all of them as he dipped his fingers in the scentless oil and carefully probed at his lover's entrance. He expected it to be soft and willing as he effortlessly slipped his fingers inside, yet the pang of jealousy hit him all the same. Stupid umbra.

Seonghwa's breathing got irregular quickly as Hongjoong patiently began stretching him. He drank up every single one of Seonghwa's throaty moans, experiencing them as if it was the first time all over again. He wanted to remember them. Never to forget even if they ever had to part again. Their hips were moving on their own accord, pressing their growing hardnesses against each other while Seonghwa sometimes reached down to grab at both of them at the same time with his beautiful hands.

Hongjoong took his time. He made sure that Seonghwa was putty in his arms that was just basically purring and snuggling up into him. He didn't even try to be rough or to get the man to arch and throw his sweaty hair back. He just applied touches that were sensual and lasted enough to remember them well. For some moments, it even seemed as if Seonghwa had fallen asleep in his arms until a soft moan broke the silence again.

By the time Hongjoong slowly pulled his fingers away so he could smooth his hand over Seonghwa's thigh to adjust it, Seonghwa was just lying in front of him, pressed up against him and with his eyes fixated on Hongjoong's face. His expression spoke of pure adoration and love, making him look softer than ever before.

Hongjoong felt as if his death had unlocked another part of Seonghwa's heart, a deeper and more vulnerable one. Before they had been a loving couple, yes, but by now, they had gone through so much pain together that it seemed as if their bond was reaching far more profound than it usually would. Hongjoong loved it.

He pulled Seonghwa close as he slipped in smoothly, their bodies aligning completely. Hongjoong kissed him deep and addicting, just like the sea, before he went on a journey.

There were new scars on Seonghwa's body. New scars and new tattoos.

Hongjoong found their jolly roger first. It was painted over his ribcage, a dramatic picture of it in the middle of a movement. The wind was making it flutter and curl, and it looked epic in its dynamic. Hongjoong kissed it after smoothing a hand down his side, gently supporting every roll of Seonghwa's hips against his.

The next was a cute little one on his upper arm. It was Joong, as in Tikki's plushie, that was just sitting on his arm and smiling cutely with the scars that Tikki had painted on it as a reminder of her two most influential people.

Seonghwa beautifully arched into Hongjoong's warmth, his breathy moans filling the room as their bodies seemed to melt into one. Hongjoong held him, kissed, and caressed every millimetre he could reach while Seonghwa bloomed like the prettiest flower under his ministrations.

A large part of Seonghwa's hip leading down onto the side of his thigh was covered by beautiful flowers. Hongjoong left his hand there as he guided their movements, his thrusts never creasing in their slow and deep rhythm even as he explored Seonghwa all over again.

He found another version of the Precious on the inside of his other arm. It featured the crew, the eight of them standing on the railing to look out over a beautiful starry sky. Hongjoong was in the middle of the picture, and Seonghwa was right next to him, his face directed at Hongjoong, rather than the stars. It was only a play of silhouettes on brighter skin, but it still was beautiful enough to make Hongjoong smile at it warmly.

And of course, there was also still the tattoo that Hongjoong had given him. A pair of lips - Seonghwa's to be specific - that was interrupted by a skull with crossbones on the right side of it. Because their first kiss had been the turning point of their relationship. Sure, bread and a whip had brought them together. But this was what had opened the world of endless possibilities to them. Kisses from a pirate.

"Seonghwa," Hongjoong dreamily sighed his name. He still could barely believe his luck to be back here, to be holding Seonghwa in his arms again. His heart gave a pull with every breath he took.

Seonghwa understood without him having to say it. He dipped down to kiss all of it off Hongjoong's lips, his hands gently raking over his shoulders and through his hair.

Hongjoong sneaked one hand in between them to wrap his fingers around Seonghwa's length that leaked in his grasp, sensitive. It did not take Seonghwa much to reach his peak, just a few touches of Hongjoong's nimble hands.

Hongjoong watched his face as he came. He watched Seonghwa's eyes close and his head tip back as pleasure washed over him. His moans had risen in pitch, sounding desperate, but still breathy and sweet. He also blushed a bit, overtaken by the feeling. Absolutely wrapped around his fingers, Hongjoong kissed the little mole between Seonghwa's collarbones as he was breathing harshly to come down again.

"Please come inside me," Seonghwa murmured against Hongjoong's ear as he picked up the pace just a little to give his body the last push it needed. Seonghwa's voice sure worked wonders because a few seconds later, the hot curl of pleasure in Hongjoong's stomach released, and he pulled Seonghwa in close as he gently rode out his orgasm.

Seonghwa was pushing his sweaty hair back, staying wrapped around Hongjoong and giving him gentle kisses on the forehead and the tip of his nose even after the heat of the moment started cooling down. They just enjoyed each other's presence as Hongjoong sluggishly pulled the sheets they had kicked further down back over their bodies.

A few more chaste kisses were shared just for the fun of it before Hongjoong finally dropped his head into the pillows, spent. Seonghwa giggled endeared at the way his eyelids drooped.

"Shh, I've 'ad a long few days with me lubber tryin' to kill me," Hongjoong murmured, without opening his eyes again. Seonghwa pressed tender kisses to his eyelids, too, making Hongjoong's lips twitch into a smile.

"You looked gorgeous on that evening at the court. Like a beast wearing sheep's clothing, but still wild and mysterious. I was drawn to you even before I began to suspect you could be him."

"And ye looked like an actual prince. So radiant. I be sure ye charmed the 'ole ballroom with yer white soul."

They giggled in the silence of their little warm bubble. Hongjoong felt as if he had molten, just basking in Seonghwa's presence with nothing else to do. His thumbs drew mindless circles over his tattoed leg.

For a few minutes, it was quiet. The waves gently lapped at the ship while sleep pulled on Hongjoong, beckoning him closer motherly.

"Ay, Hwa." When he mumbled again, Hongjoong's tongue felt heavy and not made to talk anymore.

"Hmm?"

"Don't e'er sleep with yer umbra again. Go to any crew member, no matter who. Anybody, ye feel comfortable with if the situation e'er arises again will do. But not 'im," Hongjoong pleaded sleepily.

Seonghwa's answer was just another warm kiss to Hongjoong's forehead before they fell asleep like that, wrapped around each other.


	10. A Loyal Crew

Hongjoong awoke to the sight of Yunho's sleeping face in front of him. He was calmly slumbering sitting on the floor but with his face mushed in his arms on the bed. He looked cute, and Hongjoong moved to poke his cheek to feel how squishy it was.

As he slowly lifted his head to look around, he found out that all of the crew had somehow made their way inside. They must have come together here somewhen in the night and were now laying in one big pile strewn all over the floor. It looked adorable, seeing them sleep on each other's outstretched limbs that they had all just thrown over each other without care.

Hongjoong found Yeosang with his upper body half on their bed while his legs dangled on the floor. Jongho was right beside him and had thrown one arm over the navigator's waist while he was out cold with his face in the sheets.

The boys were also here, cuddling and pushing each other at the same. The funniest thing was probably some leg that was just stretched out for the foot to rest on the bed while the main body was on the floor.

Hongjoong smiled down at his family softly before turning slowly and carefully to face his husband. He did not want to wake anybody, especially not Seonghwa, of all people.

However, Seonghwa was already awake, and his affectionate eyes were directed right at Hongjoong as he turned.

At seeing each other, Seonghwa's plush lips pulled into a crooked smile first. Hongjoong immediately responded to it, reaching out to pull the man closer.

"Good morning," Hwa rumbled with his low voice still scratchy from sleep as he curled around Hongjoong once again. Humming, Hongjoong greeted him with a chaste kiss.

"A great morning. I missed this."

Seonghwa gently framed Hongjoong's face with his hands as he let the tips of their noses touch tenderly. Smiling, Hongjoong pushed back, making the man giggle.

"You missed waking up to a pile of puppies strewn all over the place?"

At that, Hongjoong had to pull back to glance through the room with narrowed eyes.

"I can't remember that situation well... 'ow did I not 'ear them come in?" He settled down again to pout over his weakened instincts while Seonghwa casually threw an arm over his waist and pulled him close.

"You did. You stirred and were already ready to fight before being fully awake, I think, but then you noticed me next to you and decided that it was not worth it. And then you kinda just fell right back asleep on me." Seonghwa chuckled at him when Hongjoong embarrassedly tucked his head into Seonghwa's neck so he would not have to look at the other man.

"I 'ad a few long days worryin' about ye, to be 'onest. Fair that there I need to sleep. Especially when I feel so safe."

"It's alright, Joong. It's adorable. I took care of it. I'm the captain anyway, you know?"

At that, Hongjoong looked back up at him warily. He indeed was, and now he seemed entirely too smug about it.

"Aye, ye be... What about it? Be ye plannin' to abuse yer power o'er yer crew?"

Seonghwa slipped one long leg between Hongjoong's, slotting their bodies closer together. Hongjoong fit right in like a puzzle piece. He let Seonghwa play with his hair as he listened to the rumble of his voice in his chest, to his beating heart.

"I might give a few immoral orders here and there. What are you right now, a stowaway? A pretty prisoner?"

Hongjoong had to laugh against the other man's warm skin.

"I treated ye nicely when ye arrived all that time ago," he reminded him mischievously as he drew little circles onto the bumps of Seonghwa's spine under his fingers. Seonghwa's fingertips skimmed over his ears, making Hongjoong flinch, and the other man laugh quietly once again.

"You nearly fed me to the sharks," Seonghwa reprimanded him with a scoff.

A second of silence passed.

Then, Hongjoong shifted, making sure that his fingers tickled over Seonghwa's side as he did. The man squirmed in his arms, Hongjoong's revenge was taken. 

"Aye, alright, I kinda did. But it been all in jolly fun! I wouldn't actually 'ave killed ye." That was the truth. Seonghwa had been far too beautiful and confused with his big eyes for Hongjoong to do anything to him. 

"You had me on me knees with my face pressed against your crotch the first time we met. Ah, and there was a whip around my neck." Seonghwa did not mince his words, making Hongjoong wince at the crudeness.

"That's a sign o' friendship, isn't it? I took enough likin' to ye that there I made it clear right away that I been interested in other things but yer death." Hongjoong pulled his head back to innocently smile up at his husband only to have the man roll his eyes at him fondly. 

"Very reassuring, yes."

Yeosang stirred in his sleep, further slumping against Jongho as his body lost some of its balance it had on the bed. Jongho managed to hold his weight even subconsciously, slightly turning his head towards Yeosang, so his lips pushed out in between his full cheeks.

Hongjoong watched how Yeosang's eyes slowly fluttered open, smoothing a hand down over the dimples on Seonghwa's back.

"Mister Yeosang," he called out quietly as he saw the man look around confusedly. He scrutinised Jongho with a weak smile spreading on his lips without even listening to Hongjoong. Instead, he devotedly stared at his man that Hongjoong was not even sure about what his relationship was with by now.

Seonghwa moved to push his body up, too, making the blanket slip down from his honey skin shoulder. Hongjoong perked up when he noticed another tattoo on the man's ribcage, the other side this time since they had somehow switched positions during the night. However, different from the other one, this one led further towards his back, and Hongjoong had to paw at his side to get him to turn around.

Seonghwa did with a chuckle, languidly stretching out on the sheets with his arms above his head. Hongjoong appreciatively trailed his fingers down his side as he angled his head to read the short paragraph that was written there in elegant handwriting that looked like it had been practised a lot. 

_"He wears the smell of blood and death like a perfume._

_There is fire in his eyes and ice in his veins._

_But you love him anyway._

_For he is a star._

_Burning with the light of a thousand suns._

_And your world is dark without him."_

Hongjoong hummed as he bent down to kiss over Seonghwa's side, tasting his warm skin with his lips. The skin around this tattoo was still slightly reddened and in the process of healing, meaning it was likely his most recent tattoo.

"Where did that one come from?"

Seonghwa snuggled into his pillow, his hair a curly mess atop his head.

"Kira. She wrote me a letter once, and these were the words she left for me. I thought they were beautiful. It's about you."

"Aye, I figured." Hongjoong trailed his lips further up Seonghwa's skin, feeling him shudder deliciously beneath him before he laid down his head. Again, he watched Yeosang, who was by now gently trailing Jongho's lips with his finger, his expression dreamy.

"Mister Navigator." He gently called out again, trying to mask the amusement in his voice with sternness. This time, Yeosang actually looked up, his eyes alert as he searched for the caller of the sound.

"Aye, Captain!"

Hongjoong chuckled as they looked at each other. Yeosang's eyes went wide as he realised his mistake. Seonghwa, too, turned to look at their former prince with one of his brows lifted. However, a humorous smile curled around the left corner of his mouth. A little dimple appeared, too, when he did this.

"Cap-Captain? Which one of you is Captain right now?" 

Hongjoong searchingly looked up at his lover. Seonghwa shrugged, not caring too much.

"Do we even need to re-elect? With how they all seem to have missed you, I think that's not even necessary," Yeosang hummed amusedly, looking around between the many unconscious bodies surrounding them. With how he stretched out of Jongho's hold to have his spine crack satisfyingly, the younger man also finally blinked his eyes open.

The first thing he did was made eye-contact with Hongjoong and lunge at him.

Hongjoong laughed as he rolled off Seonghwa so Jongho's body weight would not squish them too much against each other. He received the man with open arms, and neither of them cared for his nakedness as the carpenter tackled him like an overly excited puppy.

He was not even able to form any words, just hugging the much smaller body of captain close to his form. Hongjoong was absolutely dwarfed by his strong shoulders, but he held on just as tightly as he brotherly patted the man's back.

"Sink me, somebody missed me, 'uh?"

Jongho just made an intelligible noise against Hongjoong's neck, huddling closer.

Their movement had also startled Yunho awake, and by now, his bigger body also dropped down on them, squishing them against each other. His big smile was radiant, and he giggled when Jongho gave a protesting huff.

Their collected giggles and stupidity by now also alerted the rest of the crew that stirred by now. A general disentangling started on the floor that was followed by lots of curses and general confusion. 

Seonghwa used the moment to roll out of bed and get dressed while Hongjoong had no other choice but to let one after the other greet him.

Of course, they had all heard of his return even before. However, since Seonghwa had occupied his time right away, nobody had gotten to greet him yet, and it was finally time to share some happiness. They all preached up and down how much they had missed Hongjoong and how glad they were that he was back. Some did so with huge smiles on their faces, while others had tears shimmering on their cheeks.

Hongjoong tried to console and hug all of them while getting dressed in the clothes that Seonghwa threw him from further in the room. He managed to do so with lots of struggling and multiple hands or feet getting in his way, but he somewhen won when all of the kids finally had gotten their turn at greeting him once again.

Only after that, they sat in one big group collected in the room. The five remaining members of the main crew had gathered on the bed, Jongho sitting with his hand on Yeosang's thigh. The others were around them and looking up at Hongjoong with stars in their youthful eyes, excited for whatever he would throw at them.

"Alright, me 'earties, aye, I be aft."

A general cheering erupted, Seonghwa being the loudest out of all of them. He softly smiled at Hongjoong when their eyes crossed, another tender second passing between the two of them. 

"Will you go back to being our captain?" Dahan enthusiastically asked, nearly vibrating in his seat with how bad he needed an answer.

Hongjoong again looked over to his husband that had by now covered Hongjoong's hand on the sheets with his. When Hongjoong gingerly turned his hand, Seonghwa immediately interwove their fingers just so they could hold onto each other. He gave a little nod.

"If ye all agree to this here, I will, aye. Seonghwa be willin' to 'and the title aft to me."

He looked around and received loads of quick nods and smiles. With that, it was settled, then.

"So what be yer first order, Cap'n? which 'orizon be we sailin' fer?" Yunho's smile was infectious and made the whole rest of them break out into matching grins.

"We will get back our crewmates from the navy. I also still 'ave a bilge rat that I 'ave to send to 'ell fer doin' a few things that I did nay enjoy very much."

Louder yells came up, making the whole room seem like it was a theatre stage rather than a private cabin. Their screams were full of new strength and will. It seemed like Hongjoong's return had given them the hope they needed for their mission, and he smirked as he saw his men holler for blood and justice.

They would take over the Headquarters in a storm and get back what was rightfully theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My exams are coming up on Monday, so we won't get daily chapters until Tuesday again ^^ See you with the next one!


	11. Behind the Wheel

Hongjoong loved three things. Seonghwa, his crew, and the sea.

After having regained the first two, he was now elated to return to the last. It was around noon, and the skies were clear to bear down with an icy winter coldness on the pirates. Hongjoong was standing at the wheel with his gloved fingers tightly gripping onto the frozen wood. He was wearing one of his long coats by now, a pretty red one that he had stolen from some nice navy gentleman many years ago.

Yeosang was at his side with his maps clutched tightly in his hands and fluffy linings on his brown coat. He looked fancy enough in it to be mistaken for some wealthy merchant, and for years, the crew had pretended to kidnap the man because of it. Yeosang had by now grown tired of the old joke. What worse could capture him than a pirate?

Hongjoong was watching Seonghwa climbing through the rigging when he was not too busy listening to Yeosang's sporadic comments about the currents he had to dodge. It was peaceful, despite the cold, but Hongjoong was dissatisfied with the lack of happy faces on his ship. Wooyoung and San were usually extremely obnoxious with their noise and games. Mingi also was such a striking force.

Yeosang had told him he had brainstormed ideas on how to infiltrate the Headquarters and made sure to write it all down too. Thus, he would later brief Hongjoong on the matters after they sailed through today's part of the wintery ocean.

So for now, it was just peaceful. Hongjoong could enjoy the feel of his ship beneath his fingers and watch the blue seas part for them smoothly.

"A storm is closing in on us again. Maybe it would be safe to spend the night in some bay here."

Hongjoong glanced over to the island Yeosang was pointing at. He had not heard the name of it before, meaning it most likely had no more significant outpost of neither pirates nor navy forces.

"Savvy."

Happily humming some tune under his breath, Hongjoong once again looked out over his ship to catch Jongho passing both Yunho and his shadow and stalling for a while on his way over to the ropes. He looked smug as he wrapped his arms around both of the pretty boys' waists, one each at a time and pulled them close to whisper whatever between the three of them.

The moment lasted only a second, then he was already leaving again, and both Yunhos split up again do to their work. They were smiling under their breaths, making Hongjoong wonder about their conversation.

Hongjoong stopped humming.

"Yeosang, tell me what Seonghwa did while I been gone."

Yeosang lifted his brow first, then his head. He took a moment to find Seonghwa in the rigging, then he curiously glanced over to Hongjoong.

"Pardon?"

"Ye picked up the violin again. What did 'e do, safe fer the pictures?" It was not as if Hongjoong did not know what the man had been up to, but he wanted to hear about it from the start. He needed all the details to understand the issue.

"I don't think it is my place to tell. Not because he told me not to. I decided for myself that this is a thing you need to discuss with him yourself." Yeosang rested the map on the railing in front of him to direct his full attention at Hongjoong, his eyes serious. It only strengthened the captain's suspicions of it being far worse than expected.

With a sigh, he searched for Seonghwa's umbra on deck. They had no other option but to continuously include them in the workload by now since too many people were missing, but Hongjoong would like to make an exception for Seonghwa's umbra. He did not like how his eyes kept following Hongjoong's husband.

"It's not jealousy, isn't it?"

Hongjoong shook his head as he made eye-contact with the umbra over the ship. The man smirked sinisterly at him before disappearing in the shadows behind the mast. His malicious intent was wafting over like the foul breath of the dead.

"Nay. It be the dread o' 'im 'urtin' Seonghwa. I know 'e can't 'arm 'im severely fer 'is own sake, but... 'e makes 'im suffer anyway."

Yeosang hesitated for a long moment. When he finally spoke again, he was quiet, and his voice was muffled by the fluffy collar of his coat.

"I think... You underestimate how mutual their relationship is. I think you forget that Seonghwa's shadow... He can only act with Seonghwa's permission."

Hongjoong's face darkened further as he furrowed his brow. Yes, he knew. And that knowledge made it all the worse. Hongjoong could not understand why the man would willingly submit himself to the manipulation and pain that his shadow caused.

"Talk it through with him, and don't jump to conclusions. Seonghwa was... fine apart from that. He was very distracted by being a captain. We all tried taking care of each other."

Hongjoong let the issue rest, for now, not wanting to make the man any more uncomfortable. Instead, he switched the topic.

"'ow be Yunho doin'?"

"Missing his best friend. But he's worried about Mingi rather than himself. We know how he can get." Yeosang gave a chuckle, but it sounded worried. All of them could only imagine what was happening at Headquarters and how their friends were being treated by now. Even if they had not been submitted to torture due to some wicked sense of justice that the navy claimed to have, the situation alone would drive them slowly mad. They were behind bars, far from the sea, and the freedom they treasured more than anything. And subjected to die any day.

And Mingi was far from the man he swore to protect and always stay close to ever since Yunho had unconsciously slipped in the role of the one person he treasured more than his own life after failing with his brother.

Hongjoong grit his teeth at the imagination. Yunho was seldomly hurt since he mostly fought from a distance, but Mingi had made a habit of checking on him first after every fight. He wanted to know Yunho safe, but at the same time, he had no means to protect him.

"I 'ope 'e's at least in the same cell as the other two. Leavin' 'im alone will mess with 'im even more."

Yeosang gave a hum, his eyes lost in memories.

"Yes. When he saw you die, he lost control for a moment. I'm sure he regrets it. It would be nice if Wooyoung and San can take care of him, but I don't expect too much from the navy. So... take Yunho with you when you go get him. He might keep the damage to a minimum."

Another reminder of how bad Hongjoong's death had hit his crew. He was not even angry at that commander for killing him. He was mad at himself for being too weak to resist, for hurting his friends like that. He messed it all up and made them have such a hard time when it was already difficult for them because of their friends being arrested.

Hongjoong lowered his head in shame.

"I be sorry, Yeosang. I can't make time turn aft, but-"

"No, no, shush." Yeosang was quick to step up to him to wrap his arms around the stony captain. His breath was warm against Hongjoong's ear as he snuggled in close.

"I didn't mean it like that. Don't feel pressured by my words. You came back, and that is far more than we ever dared to wish for. We are here to support you, and we will resolve this situation as we always do. We just need the time to heal."

Hongjoong tried to regulate his erratic breathing. With the guilt, his heart rate had also picked up. He was too close to panicking again, all the thoughts had become too much for him.

"They don't even know... They be trapped there, not knowin' I be back. I-"

"Shhh." Yeosang pressed a shy kiss to Hongjoong's cheek. Usually, he was not comfortable to openly show affection towards others, but he battled even that reflex for Hongjoong. The captain swallowed roughly. Now, he felt even worse.

"They will be fine, Captain. Seonghwa worked hard to make sure we will get to them on time. Fate is in our favour. Trust us. We will do this with excellency. Having you back is just a very nice surprise they will get. Don't trouble yourself too much."

Hongjoong moved his right hand from the wheel to wrap it around Yeosang's shoulders, allowing himself to rest for a moment. He needed a reminder that it was not his fault.

"It was the fault of that commander and nobody else. If you want to blame anybody, then go rip that bastard apart and don't beat yourself up. You came back. You once again gifted us with the precious time with you he took from us. It's him only, Hongjoong. Let's make sure he is the one who pays for this, not you." Yeosang seemed to read his thoughts, speaking exactly what Hongjoong needed to hear.

"Alright." Hongjoong gulped down a big breath of cold winter air. "I can do that, aye."

Yeosang gently patted his hip as he pulled back a bit, attentively searching Hongjoong's gaze. The captain made sure to smile at his friend gratefully. Yeosang always knew how to soothe people with his deep and steady voice and words.

"I'll personally hand you every torture device you want to use on him," Yeosang assured him with a solemn nod, making Hongjoong giggle as they parted again. He missed the warmth of the other man immediately, but Yeosang had to smooth out his map.

"Thanks. Maybe I'll stall just a bit at 'eadquarters to take me sweet time with 'im. I don't want that mess on me ship."

"Especially not if I 'ave to clean it up." Another voice joined them, and Hongjoong immediately felt his chest warm at hearing it. He turned to Seonghwa with a smile, watching him come up the last step of the stairs to join them at the helm. Seonghwa smiled back at him warmly before exchanging a glance with Yeosang.

Clearing his throat, Yeosang rolled his map back up.

"As it seems, I will now use the time to write my logbooks since I'm not needed here anymore," he loudly announced, making his shadow chuckle as he passed the deck beneath them. With an exaggerated gesture, Yeosang shoved the map under his arm and strutted inside the captain's quarters, leaving them alone.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes at the drama while Seonghwa just giggled to himself. Then, the taller man stepped in closer, still towering over Hongjoong and his heels. His hands came up to tenderly cradle Hongjoong's jaw, their eyes locking. Calm filled Hongjoong.

"Be ye alright?"

Hongjoong smirked at him, reaching out with his free hand to pull the other man closer. Seonghwa pressed right up against him, pushing Hongjoong's back against the wheel as he crowded the smaller man in. Hongjoong lifted his head to keep watching Seonghwa, their lips hovering centimetres from each other without touching. They shared every warm breath.

"Somebody's been watchin' me, 'm?"

"Just returnin' the favour. I gotta make sure ye don't leave me sight anymore, Cap'n." Seonghwa's grin seemed even cockier than Hongjoong's. He lifted a brow while he did it, and his tongue brushed Hongjoong's mouth as he flicked it out to lick his own lips. It was dangerously seductive, and Hongjoong found himself entertained and cocking his head at this flirty Seonghwa.

"Gimme a kiss." Hongjoong reached up between them to tap on his lips, waiting for how Seonghwa would react to the order. He took his gloved fingers away then, observing patiently as Seonghwa slowly leaned in. However, instead of kissing him, he moved right over to Hongjoong's ear, pressing his lips to it. He found a place without piercings that he could carefully bite and tug on, making a chuckle vibrate in Hongjoong's chest.

"No," was all he defiantly breathed, pulling back then. Hongjoong rose his brows at the smug smirk the man was sporting.

"No?"

"I've waited fer four months. I can make ye wait, too."

Hongjoong grabbed him at his collar to pull him closer once again. Still, he did not kiss the other man, just leaning in.

"Wait fer what?"

Seonghwa's laughter went right into Hongjoong's abdomen, making him press closer against his lover when arousal started heating his body up at their little game.

"Let me put ye in a skirt an' I might think about it."

Humming, Hongjoong tipped his head back, letting Seonghwa latch right onto the sensitive skin of his neck to lick and suck at it hungrily.

"Ye already 'ad me in skirts before... What be ye planning, sugar? I assume there be somethin' specific ye be after."

Seonghwa trailed his plush lips up Hongjoong's jaw until his ear. Hongjoong did not expect him to gently thrust his hot tongue in, shuddering in the man's grasp. The slick noise made him arch into the touch. Seonghwa's fingers dug into his hips.

"Of course, I be. Let me take care o' ye just such as yerself took care o' me. I'll make sure to give ye all the kisses ye want."

Hongjoong shivered when the cold air hit his wet skin.

"Savvy, go take a break an' pick out whatever ye want me to wear. I'll claim me kisses later."


	12. Skirts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Une Smut
> 
> TW for overstimulation and bondage

The situation had not played out how Hongjoong expected it to.

He had expected Seonghwa to put him in a skirt, just how he had promised. He had also expected him to get more handsy than last time, seeing as they now had spent some time with each other so the thought of Hongjoong being back could settle.

However, Seonghwa had slightly escalated on him.

Hongjoong was tightly strapped to his chair, and that had not happened before. At least not with Seonghwa. But somehow, he had ended up bound by his wrists and feet with rope while his legs were spread open for Seonghwa to access him.

Before getting tied up, he had been put in clothes he had never seen on the ship before. Seonghwa had clearly found a few more nice playthings to work with, and Hongjoong was quite impressed by what he was wearing.

It was an artful mess of black straps that ran all over his body. Some of them sat snugly around his throat; some crossed over his chest and shoulders. It was one piece that had been incredibly confusing to get on, but Hongjoong adored the way it hugged his waist and thighs. It decorated him but it sure did not hide anything. Also not the black skirt Seonghwa had put on him. It was made of see-through lace and would have reached until just above Hongjoong's knees had Seonghwa not already bunched it around his waist.

Hongjoong was still incredibly torn between amazement over his outfit and the sudden shift in dynamics that had him strapped to the chair, but he was too distracted to think about it too long.

Because he was tied to a chair and Yeosang had just walked in on him.

At the sight of his flushed and sweaty captain behind the desk, he just lifted his brow curiously. He knew what they had been up to, but he also could not possibly see what was going on behind the sturdy desk.

"Don't mind me; I'm just getting my books."

Hongjoong responded with a groan, his fists clenching and head dropping back when another hot wave of arousal washed over him. Yeosang came over with a chuckle to get whatever he needed, finally noticing how Honjoong was bound to the armrests and the pretty harness he was wearing.

"Did he leave you like that? Where is he?" Yeosang's amusement was apparent in his deep voice as his wiry hands put another book on his stack.

Hongjoong just whined, his face redder than the evening sun by now because he had to have this conversation while he was in this position. Weakly, he nodded towards Seonghwa, who was kneeling in between his open legs with Hongjoong's length down his throat and three fingers buried deep inside the captain. His eyes fierily bore into Hongjoong's. His sharp gaze was nothing like his usual bright and glinting eyes. He was looking up at Hongjoong from underneath his dark fringe and even darker brows full of heat.

"Under the table," Hongjoong breathed only to arch against his restraints when Seonghwa flicked his fingertips against his sensitive spot.

Yeosang's lips curled impishly.

"I understand. You look pretty in that." With that, he gave a mocking salute before he exited the cabin and closed the door quickly to keep the cold air out.

Hongjoong gave a whine when Seonghwa swallowed around him and pushed his long and slender fingers in deeper simultaneously. They reached far further than Hongjoong's ever could and made him gasp for breath when they spread apart to press against his walls gently. Automatically, his legs dropped further open.

Slowly, Seonghwa pulled off. Every centimetre of Hongjoong's skin that appeared was shiny with his spit and throbbing angrily. Seonghwa's plush lips wrapped around the tip tantalisingly pretty and he gave another dirty flick of his tongue before letting go. A string of salvia connected them for a second before Seonghwa cut it by licking his lips. Hongjoong watched him with his own throat dry, no words coming up in his head.

"'e be right."

Hongjoong flinched at how deep his voice was, not quite expecting that. With the way Seonghwa wryly smirked at him that had been exactly his intention. Hongjoong had no breath to be mad at him.

Seonghwa curled his fingers as he shifted, moving further up Hongjoong's body. His lips teasingly latched onto one of Hongjoong's hard nipples, and his black hair tickled Hongjoong's chest as a reminder that he was not allowed to touch.

He felt the black lace slip back over his groin as Seonghwa moved between his legs and immediately dreaded the hand that Seonghwa lifted. Their eyes met, and Seonghwa's were twinkling deviously.

"No, come on, not again, I-"

Seonghwa shushed him with a kiss, closing his fist around Hongjoong's length. The lace immediately wrapped tightly around his sensitive tip, making him trash in his hold.

They had been doing this for at least two hours already. Seonghwa kept overstimulating him, pushing him right until the edge of satisfaction only to pull right back. Hongjoong's body was tensed beyond comfort, and by now he was close to snapping. He pondered ripping his limbs free and just pushing Seonghwa down so he could ride him as if it was their last day on earth if he did not act soon.

"Seonghwa-"

"Shh. If ye won't beg fer it nicely, then stay quiet."

Hongjoong dropped his head back, his sweaty black hair sticking to his nape. He tried to hold back his whines as Seonghwa used the skirt to his advantage, continuously torturing Hongjoong with the rough feel of the lace.

Again, Hongjoong writhed in his holdings, his chest shimmering with a sheen layer of sweat. Seonghwa hummed appreciatively as Hongjoong boldly pushed it out like that while trying to shy away from his torturous hand at the same time.

"Hwa-"

This time, Seonghwa actually let go of Hongjoong's angrily leaking member to fist a hand in his hair. Hongjoong whimpered as his head was roughly wrenched up, and Seonghwa loomed over him, glaring at him in a way that had Hongjoong clenching around his fingers.

"What is it?!" He hissed lowly as he tipped Hongjoong's head back, but the captain could not complain. Seonghwa looked like a god, and he had what Hongjoong wanted.

"Please." Hongjoong labourously angled his head to give the man his best puppy eyes. His lower lip jutted out in a pout, too, copying what he had seen San do to get his way.

Seonghwa's brow rose, waiting.

"Please fuck me already, Sir."

Wordlessly, Seonghwa reached for the knife on the table behind him. Hongjoong sunk back in his chair, relieved, as the man finally cut his bindings impatiently.

For the third time in a few hours, Hongjoong wondered who was the one in control here. Maybe it was him, after all, who kept denying Seonghwa with his defiance.

Seonghwa made the mistake of releasing Hongjoong's feet first, so by the time he got to his hands, he already had Hongjoong's foot in his lap, pressing against his arousal. He had opted to wear a skirt, too, but his was longer, reaching until his calves. It was made of dark blue silk that looked gorgeous on his tanned skin and even better darkened by the wet stain of his hardness.

Sadly, Hongjoong did not have his fun for long. Seonghwa roughly hauled him out of the damn chair that had kept him for way too long only to lay him down on the desk. It was high enough that Hongjoong's toes could not reach the ground anymore, but Seonghwa had good access to anything he wanted.

Hongjoong tried to roll off his length that was trapped between his stomach and the desk, but Seonghwa was faster. Firmly, he forced Hongjoong down with one hand on his lower back while the other hand moved their skirts out of the way dominantly. When Hongjoong reached back with trembling fingers to help, his wrists got swiftly grabbed by one of Seonghwa's large hands.

He entered Hongjoong's body finally as he pushed him down on the desk flatly. His slender body possessed more strength than anticipated as he agilely moved over Hongjoong, holding his hands down with one arm while the other gripped onto the smaller man's hips.

Hongjoong choked on his breath at the first deep thrust that roughly pushed his thighs against the edge of the desk. And at the same time, he noticed that his member was once again trapped between his body and lace, making him kick his legs frustratedly. Considering Seonghwa's chuckle, he had done that on purpose.

Hongjoong wanted to speak up again to complain, but Seonghwa left him with no room to argue. His breathing was harsh against Hongjoong ear as he moved both of them over the sticky wood underneath them that Hongjoong desperately tried to grab onto with his fingers. His blunt nails futilely scratched over the surface before he managed to grab Seonghwa's fingers and held on.

Seonghwa's sweat dripped down on him as he took Hongjoong with harsh, jerky movements that disclosed his closeness. With whines and moans freely stumbling over his lips, Hongjoong just leaned his forehead against the wood in front and tried to remember breathing through the smell of sex penetrating the air.

He caught himself grinding down on the lace of the skirt repeatedly in tries of getting some friction even if it was this kind of torturous one that Seonghwa had submitted him to.

Hongjoong's legs trembled and shook against Seonghwa's form as every trust made their skin slap together with wet noises. Every slide of their bodies against each other was slick.

Hongjoong got the hiccups when he ultimately failed at breathing. He felt Seonghwa's fingers gently curl around his as the man dipped down to press wet kisses over Hongjoong's neck. None of them got any coherent words out from how focused they were on the drag of their bodies. The pressure inside was too delicious for Hongjoong to complain, and Seonghwa also seemed to be too caught up in the feel to comment much. It was apparent that they had been missing these sensations for too long and had lots to catch up with.

Hongjoong breathed Seonghwa's name when he arched back against the other man's body as Seonghwa moved in as deep as possible. His teeth sunk into Hongjoong's neck at the same time that he stilled for a second to suck in a deep breath. For a moment, they stilled.

"I be comin'. Lift yer 'ips." Seonghwa let go of Hongjoong's hands to reach down to Hongjoong's crotch to wrap his slender fingers around Hongjoong's member. Just like the demon he was, he again teased Hongjoong with the lace, making him choke on his hiccups as he placed the next swift thrust.

Hongjoong felt so desperate to come already. He had been waiting for way too long, and the coil in his belly was ready to snap. Impatiently, he rutted against Seonghwa's hold as the man spread him open with a few last heavy thrusts.

To the captain's surprise, he managed to make them come at the same time. He just stilled with a shuddering groan above Hongjoong when his grip tightened enough to have Hongjoong spill on the black lace, too, finally. He stifled a hoarse scream against his fingers that he pressed against his lips in a pitiful attempt to preserve the last bits of his dignity.

Seonghwa breathed harshly. He had risen again and was now standing behind Hongjoong with their bodies still connected at the middle. His wet fingers smoothed over Hongjoong's cramping thighs and hips tirelessly, gently providing him with careful touches.

"Ye still with me?"

Seonghwa spanned his hands around Hongjoong's waist, probably feeling up the marks he had to have left there with how strongly he had grabbed at Hongjoong's side.

"Aye." Hongjoong sounded rougher from his gasps than Seonghwa was from deepthroating him. The captain cleared his throat as he carefully tried to relax his body and pull back from the sticky lace.

Seonghwa helped him, slowly pulling out so he could turn Hongjoong on his back. The pirate weakly let him, his legs dropping open as Seonghwa pulled one around his hip. Blushing, Hongjoong turned his head away when he felt his entrance leak whatever it could not hold.

Seonghwa chuckled, not taking his eyes off the sight.

"Let's move o'er to the bed," Hongjoong asked quietly as he pushed his sweaty locks back. He lifted his heavy head off the table to move, only to have Seonghwa hold him back at his leg.

"Let's not."

With that, he pulled the chair to his side so he could drop down on it. With one quick pull around his thighs, he shifted Hongjoong, so his behind was laying on the edge of the table while his legs weakly fell over Seonghwa's shoulder.

Hongjoong's hand flinched down when Seonghwa leaned in, tangling in his black locks.

Hongjoong threw his head back at the first touch of the man's tongue to his sensitive entrance. He still had a long night ahead of him.


	13. Dreams of Old Friends

_Hongjoong was running._

_He was not running from anybody, so at first, he was confused why he would still be in such a hurry. He was in some forest he had never seen before. It was full of tall trees with white barks and little leaves. Around his knees, there were lush green ferns and soft moss cushioned his every step._

_It was bright, a sunny day, and the natural light brightened the atmosphere, but no actual sunbeams fell through the canopy of leaves above his head._

_Hongjoong's head snapped up when he noticed a sliver of red out of the corner of his eyes. Quicker than he could focus on it, it had already disappeared, and he ran again. He sprinted after that swish of colour without doubting its importance even a single second._

_It led him out of the forest._

_By the time the trees started getting sparse, Hongjoong was out of breath, and his hair was sticky in his neck. His loose white shirt stuck to his back, and he regretted wearing long pants despite not having made the decision._

_Somewhen, he had lost his shoes. Under his toes, the mosses felt even softer and more inviting._

_Suspicious, he stepped out onto the cliff the red had led him to. It seemed like some sort of hilly highlands that featured tall rocks and green meadows. It looked as if it had rained not too long ago, and the dark sky was still covered in grey clouds._

_There was a woman. A woman in a white dress and long red hair that cascaded openly down her back. She was sitting on the edge of the cliff with her hands supporting her body behind her back and her legs idly dangling over the edge._

_Liv._

_Hongjoong's steps slowed as he neared her, cautious. He knew that it was just a dream, but Liv was powerful. Far more so than he had anticipated at the time, he had killed her. He had thought it was over then, but it never was._

_The pirate came to a halt in a respectful distance from her and observed her. She did not move at all, just looking out over the landscape with a melancholic expression._

_"So ye 'ave returned."_

_Her voice was quiet and heavy with her southern accent. Hongjoong had always thought it special and had quite liked it a long time ago._

_"Don't be too disappointed," he bit back tensely. He had no memories of being dead; he had no idea if he had met Liv at that time. Maybe she had come to mock him again in death, but he did not recall._

_"I 'ave to say I be surprised. That warlock mate o' yours be far more skilled than I expected. Ah, but then again, I couldn't foresee the shadow kissed one. She messed it all up."_

_"Aren't ye gettin' tired? Ye failed at killin' me twice. Yer 'ound 'as vanished an' Yongguk be workin' on the rest, too. It be nearly impossible fer ye to kill me from this point on."_

_Hongjoong had become an undying soul. He would not age, would not die of it, just like Kira. From what he had gathered, he could at least be killed by weapons, but just like her, he was stuck in an eternal loop._

_"Yet, the darkness still feeds. It be not ye anymore, Hongjoong. But it might 'urt ye far more than just dyin' would. I be 'appy to 'ave spied ye die even if it been not by me 'and. 'owever, since ye returned, I shall see ye suffer even worse."_

_Hongjoong clenched his hands to fists as he stepped closer. With a sigh, he dropped down next to her. He could feel her bitterness and hate towards him, could understand it all too well. Her fury was what intrigued Hongjoong, had always been. It had always kept her alive._

_"What did ye foul witch do?"_

_"I did nay 'ave to do anythin'. 'e did it all 'imself. Forewent all ye told 'im an' got 'imself trapped." She turned her head towards him, a cruel smile playing around her lips. "Yer little lubber, the one ye kidnapped. Yer 'usband." She breathed the last word mockingly as if she questioned their feelings for each other._

_Hongjoong swallowed his anger down. He needed to stay calm, so the cold fear that seized him at the mention of Seonghwa's condition would not overcome him._

_He knew. Or rather, he told himself that he had known. He had seen Seonghwa struggle with his umbra, and he had seen him slowly succumb to the bastard ever since they had met. Seonghwa had never managed to keep his hands off no matter what his umbra had done to him or how often Hongjoong had asked him to._

_Seeing him sink into his umbra's arms willingly had been the last drop in a barrel that had been getting fuller every day for years. Seonghwa did not possess the strength to withhold his umbra. Everybody else did since their umbras were far less murderous and seductive than his, but for Seonghwa, his umbra meant protection._

_Hongjoong knew, and Hongjoong also knew that it was his fault. He had left his husband behind, repeatedly. It was only natural for Seonghwa to search for closure somewhere._

_"'e be addicted to 'im. The darkness, the danger, the black magic... It does that to some people. It be not what I originally planned for you and your treacherous crew. But seeing how much it breaks him and you, I'm proud of how it turned out."_

_Hongjoong wrung a hand through his hair, feeling tired even in his dream. He did not want to leave yet in case she would disclose a secret, but at the same time, he wanted to wake up and take care of Seonghwa rather than chatting with his enemy._

_"Liv. I returned to make sure 'e be alright. I will do anythin' to get rid o' anybody that threatens 'im. Just such as yerself, if ye remember." His voice was cold and hard. He had not forgiven her yet for what happened at that time, for what she put Seonghwa through even when he had not been part of Hongjoong._

_Liv had survived many years for revenge and hatred only, and she had been wonderfully strong in that lifetime. However, it was Hongjoong whom she had started a fight with. And he would not back down until he had won._

_"I remember. We was ne'er like that. It be pathetic, seein' ye like this. Where did that strong man go? Where be the gentleman o' fortune I fell in love with fer a night? 'ave you grown weak?"_

_"Not weak. Stronger. Emotions don't make people weak. Neither does love."_

_"Things a fool would say. Look at yer lubber. Love destroyed 'im. Ye destroyed 'im. An' ye be the person 'e loves." With a smirk, she let her head roll back to triumphantly look at him. Her eyes twinkled with cynism._

_"I-"_

_"I'll see whether ye can save 'im. Who knows, maybe ye came fer nought. Maybe 'e'll die in yer arms after the darkness ate 'is 'eart away in 'is chest."_

_Hongjoong silently glared at her. His fingers were itching to drive a sword through her chest again, just for the satisfaction of it, but he remembered himself of his task once again. She did not come to fight. And he was supposed to protect Seonghwa. He would do just that._

_"This place... Ye should visit it sometime. I learned a lot 'ere." With one of her feet, she gestured over the lake that was in front of them. Hongjoong took a second to look around, taking in the sight._

_It was a lake in the crater that the cliffs created. On the far end, there was a bit of beach under the tall jagged cliffs. Just like the rocks, the sand was black over there, and there was an old castle on that beach. It was nothing more but a ruin of what once was by now, yet it seemed to still give off a noble aura._

_"Be this another trap?"_

_As an answer, Liv pushed him down the cliff._

Hongjoong woke with a start, clutching at his racing heart. He was used to falling, but he hated doing it in dreams since his brain always short-circuited with the confusion of surviving.

With a few deep breaths, Hongjoong managed to calm down at least partly. The room was already bright with the light of day, yet he still felt groggy, and Seonghwa was still out like a light at his side, too.

Manually breathing, Hongjoong laid back down and pushed his dark hair back. He did not feel rested at all, and his body ached in the places that Seonghwa had maltreated during the night. Hongjoong remembered passing out somewhen in the morning while Seonghwa was still above him, looking like a mess himself while he wrecked Hongjoong. He had all the reason to feel sore.

With a little whine on his lips, Hongjoong reached down to feel over his entrance, trying to gauge what exactly caused the uncomfortable feeling. He found it in the form of a plug nestled inside and took his fingers off with a sigh. It seemed like Seonghwa still had plans with him.

They had gotten rid of the skirts somewhen during the night, but Hongjoong was still wearing his harness. It wrapped snugly around his body and had not shifted too severely out of place even if it was now stained in some areas. Hongjoong knew he looked pretty in it, but he could not help but imagine it on Seonghwa either.

Curious, Hongjoong turned to his sleeping lover. He had thrown one arm over his bare chest, the other was hanging down over the side of the bed. His golden skin fit beautifully to Hongjoong's white sheets while his hair contrasted with it rather sharply. The soft pink of his lips, too, added to the image of a charming man that Hongjoong was allowed to call his husband.

Hongjoong felt his expression soften at the sight.

He would not let anything happen to Seonghwa. He was back, and he could help Seonghwa get out of this.

"Ahoy, umbra. Come 'ither."

It took him only seconds to drop down into a puddle at Seonghwa's side and grow out of it. Seonghwa's gentle face, his slender form, and beautiful features doubled perfectly. He was also naked, and despite this being part of Seonghwa, Hongjoong tried to stay polite and not look deeper than the trail of neatly trimmed hair that led down to the man's crotch.

"Ye look gorgeous, precious," the shadow smirked darkly, slipping right into his role. His gaze was sharp, full of warning signals that had Hongjoong's head screaming at him that this person had bad intentions. He could not imagine how bad Seonghwa must have felt to forego all of these.

"Since when do ye follow me orders?" Hongjoong glared at him to remind him of their hostility. He did not like having Seonghwa between them, but at least it was him, who could idly trail a hand over the letters on his skin, instead of the umbra.

"Since ye be aft. 'e made sure to 'ave me swear I would, in case o' an emergency. Do ye think 'e be protectin' 'imself? Poor Hwa..." He extended his hand to touch Seonghwa's arm, but Hongjoong was quick to slap him away. He scowled harder while the other man's grin just broadened.

"Then can I order ye to stop sleepin' with 'im?"

A devious chuckle rumbled in the man's chest.

"Oh? I be afraid ye be mistaken. It be not I who settled on this agreement. I only offer. 'e be the one who took it."

Hongjoong wanted to put a bullet in his head so bad. To calm down, he looked at Seonghwa's sleeping body again, trailing his fingers over the man's toned stomach. His hand rose and fell with every breath Seonghwa took.

"Ye was the one who poisoned 'is mind. I want that to avast."

"Be ye ready to pay that price, though? Seonghwa be... dependent on me."

For a long minute, they just stared at each other, neither giving in. Then, it was Hongjoong, who first shook his head.

"Ye want something, don't ye? Ye can 'elp. Ye can use yer influence to lead 'im towards a better path. But ye won't do it as an order."

"It been ne'er about orders. Only about 'elpin'. Aye, we be bound to ye as a physical form. But anythin' else be a conversation two 'umans could 'ave as well."

Hongjoong glared at him and the stupid piercing he could detect on his bellybutton. He hoped it was one of his playful extras, and Seonghwa was in no pain because of it. It fit him. It truly did. Hongjoong hated how much the little shimmer of metal distracted him.

"What do ye want?"

The umbra stepped in closer and while he did, his appearance changed. Suddenly, he was wearing dark pants and shoes, then a white shirt that ended at the bow of his ribs and a black belt with multiple rings that looked as if he could link chains to it. And then, black gauntlets that wrapped around his hands and thumbs and then led up until his upper arms.

His hand gently caught Hongjoong's chin, angling his head up to look at him. Hongjoong gulped as he met those eyes, dark and on full display since his hair was partly slicked back.

"I want ye, Captain."


	14. Ice Storm

Before Hongjoong got to answer, a hand shot out between the two of them. It firmly grabbed onto the shadow's wrist and roughly pushed his hand off Hongjoong's face. Hongjoong did not even flinch as he was scratched in the process, a deep frown settling on the umbra's face. Hot blood dripped down Hongjoong's cheek.

"No."

Seonghwa's scratchy voice had a barely constrained hostility to it, and it sounded far more awake than it should, given he had just opened his eyes.

Hongjoong sighed inwardly when Seonghwa's arm settled around his waist and pulled the captain's naked form in close as he sat up. Not a second, he broke eye-contact with his umbra. Both of them were tensed like predators on a hunt, and Hongjoong felt the unrestrained tension crackle in the air around him. It weighed down on his shoulders, but he did not complain in favour of attentively watching them.

"Seonghwa. Let us discuss this ourselves."

The gaze they shared was heated. Within a few seconds, they held a whole conversation that stayed completely silent to Hongjoong. Another sign of how close they actually were.

Yet, they seemed terrifyingly like a mirror of each other. Hongjoong felt his blood gradually run colder as he detected the same darkness that the umbra showcased in Seonghwa's eyes. It was nowhere as strong, but it was there if he looked close.

It was just like Liv had said.

It was festering.

Hongjoong's mouth tasted stale by the time the umbra finally moved back to rise to his full height.

Hongjoong could not watch it any longer. He had to stop it before Seonghwa had even more troubles letting go.

So with a swift push, he moved out of Seonghwa's grip. He ignored the dull throbbing in his lower back as he feebly stumbled against the other Seonghwa. Immediately, he was engulfed by a clothed arm that pulled him in tight against the other man.

He smelled different than Seonghwa. Oddly sweet, like the herbs that Yongguk would burn when he was preparing for some ritual. He carried the scent of what Hongjoong would describe as black magic. The same scent he claimed Hongjoong to have.

His sinister chuckle snapped Hongjoong out of his distraction.

With one swift movement, he grabbed onto the dagger closest to him on the drawer next to this side of the bed. He had the umbra pressed against the wall with the blade to his throat faster than anybody else in the room could react.

The umbra's eyes were wide with excitement and madness as he wrapped his trembling hands around Hongjoong's body that aligned with his completely. One came to rest around his waist while the other dipped down lower, between his legs.

Warningly, Hongjoong pressed the dagger further into his skin, just about to draw blood when the man's brow arched amusedly. Wordlessly, he nodded at Seonghwa.

Faltering, Hongjoong let the weapon sink. As he threw a glance over his shoulder, Seonghwa was already looking at him with his pretty hand wrapped around his own neck, and his lips opened breathlessly.

Regret washed over Hongjoong.

"Ye see 'ow it be. 'ow come I be the one standin' 'ere with yer lubber in me arms?"

Hongjoong wanted to hack his feet off so bad. He really hoped he would be allowed to one day. Just like last time, he would love to see this man's eyes empty out of life. He deserved it.

Steely, he kept quiet even as the umbra reached down over his back, grabbing onto the plug that Hongjoong was still wearing inside. With nimble fingers, he pulled the object out of Hongjoong's body. Soon, he felt Seonghwa's come seep out of him and trickle down his thighs dirtily.

Hongjoong averted his gaze from Seonghwa to lean against his umbra instead as he accepted the treatment. He made sure to let the knife sink onto the drawer, too.

The shadow did not cut eye-contact with Seonghwa as he grabbed one of Hongjoong's cheek to further open up his entrance. Hongjoong tried to restrain himself as he balled his hands to fists at his sides. He was still being held closely while they played their weird game with each other over his head.

"I could replace this right 'ere an' now an' let ye watch us. 'ow would ye like that?"

He just moved to dip his fingers in when a fourth voice interrupted them.

It came accompanied by a needle to the umbra's arm that hit his skin but made the actual Seonghwa whine painedly. Hongjoong startled when the demon's arm suddenly dropped from him, and the umbra hissed angrily.

"We be nay replacin' anythin' 'ere as we speak. Get yer filthy 'ands off our Cap'n," Yunho's warning growl came from the door. Stubbornly, the shadow tried to reach out for Hongjoong again with his other arm, only to be hit by a needle again, rendering both of his arms useless.

When Hongjoong whipped around to face his two crew members, Seonghwa looked relieved, if a bit pale at the way both of his arms were hanging uselessly down his body starting at the shoulders. At least, he was not hurt. Yunho looked rather displeased, his dark eyes glaring in a way that was untypical for his gentle soul. His big hands rested on his belt, ready to attack again if it was needed.

"Yunho, what be the matter?"

Hongjoong would not scold him for barging in like that. He had come at the right moment. And based on the way Yunho's eyes narrowed, he had noticed that skip. Wisely, he chose not to comment on it.

"We be sailin' through a snowstorm an' Yeosang wanted me to get ye scurvy dogs. We need all 'ands on deck."

Indeed, now that he mentioned it, Hongjoong could detect the melting snowflakes powdering his dark hair and the coat he was wrapped in. The ship did seem to have troubles crossing the high waves, too.

Yunho was a gift from the Gods.

"We'll be right with ye, give us a second to get dressed."

"That be ideal." With that, Yunho gave a last suspicious glance at the umbra before stepping away.

At the same moment the door closed shut behind him, Seonghwa harshly ordered his umbra to join them right away to help. He did, but not without another nasty scowl because they had ruined his fun. With his fingers uselessly twitching as they slowly came back to life, he sneaked out via his shadow form underneath the door.

Hongjoong wordlessly cleaned the worst traces of semen off his skin and got dressed. His movements were quick and to the point, no stalling involved as he roughly pulled the straps of his boots tight.

Afterwards, stepped over to Seonghwa to help him, too, while he could not move his hands. He stood in between the man's open thighs and carefully stuffed his body in some warm clothes so he would not freeze while outside but still have his freedom of movement.

Seonghwa let him do it without ever lifting his head or making a noise, but towards the end, when Hongjoong was just buttoning up his coat, he timidly inclined his head.

"'ow did ye know?"

Hongjoong searched his gaze attentively and softened when he found no traces of the earlier darkness. It was just Seonghwa with his big and shining eyes that seemed to take over such a big part of his face despite his prominent nose and plush lips.

"Dreamt about it. We 'ave to talk this out, Hwa. I can see that me bein' gone 'it ye far worse than ye be lettin' on an' that bastard be a big part o' this."

He pulled Seonghwa up to his feet, and for a moment, they just stood leaned against each other, resting while they tried to find the right words.

"We 'ave so much to do, though. Let us talk about it after the mission. When we got the others aft an' be somewhere safe, we can take all the time. I did nay want to 'ide it from ye. But 'e be also too difficult fer us to end this matter within a day." Seonghwa's quiet voice sounded sad and apologetic, and he had slightly bowed his head as if contrary to his words, the topic still embarrassed him.

"Savvy, Hwa. Just tell me first when this 'appens again. It be us two workin' against 'im, ye don't 'ave to bear this burden alone." Hongjoong reached out to tenderly take Seonghwa's fingers in his, feeling them twitch weakly as they tried to reciprocate the action despite his paralysed arm muscles. Since he would not succeed, Hongjoong worked it out for both of them, gently locking their fingers together. His thumb idly brushed over the ring on Seonghwa's hand.

"I married ye, remember? Even if ye be tryin' to forget that day, I married ye. An' that bond stayed, no matter 'ow far I might 'ave been. I'll always take yer side. An' a stupid umbra won't ruin that fer us."

Seonghwa hesitated. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but the words just would not slip over his tongue. In the end, he just nodded.

"Alright. Ye be right. We can work it out somehow. Let's get our chaos trio aft an' take some time to sort through this afterwards."

Hongjoong gave a cheerful smile.

"Sounds like a plan. Just tell me whenever ye feel bothered by it. I might not be able to solve the problem yet, but I can 'elp. An' as soon as we be again gettin' to enjoy San an' Wooyoung laughin' outside like seagulls, we'll put top priority on this matter. Ye ain't alone, Seonghwa. I be 'ere to bear all them burdens with ye."

A faint smile ghosted over Seonghwa's lips before he dipped down to kiss Hongjoong, sweet and affectionate. Hongjoong made sure to squeeze his hands as he kissed him back just as innocently.

It lasted only a peaceful moment, then something already crashed outside, and multiple voices yelled over each other.

Sighing, Hongjoong pulled away.

"Let's go save the rest o' that useless crew, then."

Chuckling, Seonghwa followed behind as they stepped out only to be hit right in the face by a wind that was so strong and icy that Hongjoong struggled to breathe. Pressing his mouth in the fabric of his collar, he squinted against the evil little ice crystals that came shooting into his face like the tip of a ferocious whip. Seonghwa ran off to help a struggling Yunho with the sails, letting his wrists move in little circles to get feeling back into his hands.

Hongjoong stepped up next to Yeosang and took the wheel from the man. It was hard to hold today, the currents pushing against it insistently, so Yeosang left one hand on it anyway while they were still talking.

"What be the plan?" Hongjoong yelled over the storm and deafening noise of the waves crashing against the side of the ship. They sprayed the crew with icy water every time and threw the Precious around to the point of nausea, but they were used to it. What was the sea without a storm or two?

"Survive! There's no island nearby that we can find cover a,t so for now, we'll just sail through this and hope that Davy Jones isn't too hungry for our souls today!"

"Savvy! 'ow long until 'eadquarters?"

"Another two days! We're going straight ahead!"

Hongjoong nodded before squinting his eyes at his ship again. He could see the boys struggle as they were battening down the hatches, but everybody else was busy doing other things to help. Yunho's shadow was carrying Hojun from the crow's nest, both Seonghwas were working on the ropes, and Jongho was trying to keep a cannon from crushing Yeosang's shadow that had somehow gotten trapped behind it.

"'elp them! I'll manage!" Hongjoong reached out for the rope that was slung around the railing next to the wheel for precisely these purposes and started to tightly wrap it around the handles of the wheel. They needed to stay on course. If they were to be carried away by the storm, they would take even longer, and that would only mean more trouble. They were running out of time with every passing day.

Yeosang nodded quickly before jumping over the helm, down onto the deck so he could search for whatever problem was nearest to him.

Hongjoong grit his teeth as he was hit by another rush of cold air.

Survive now. Everything else would come later.


	15. A Few Days

Hongjoong's chest was heaving by the time they had finally made it through the storm.

The whole crew was sprawled out on the deck soaked to the bone with cold water. The exhaustion clung to them like another skin, and Hongjoong's arms hurt so bad from adhering to the wheel that he did not even dare to lift them anymore. He was faintly aware of Yeosang's chest under one of his legs and his fingertips brushing somebody's side to his right.

The storm had finally stopped, just leaving a cloudy grey sky. The waves gently lulled them into sleepy tiredness, but they had overcome the worst. And they were still on course.

"Anybody who be 'urt come see me in the sickbay," Yunho ordered groaningly from somewhere, and his heavy steps followed as he trudged away to go do his job. Somebody stuck him immediately while the rest just stayed to take a break for now. For a while, they just shared the silence.

In the end, as a responsible captain, it was Hongjoong, who sat up first. He lifted his legs in the air to use the momentum of them coming down to force his upper body up. As his legs sprawled out over Yeosang once again, the man gave a protesting huff and weakly hit Hongjoong's calf. In response, Hongjoong childishly kicked him with the flat part of his boot.

"Enough lazin' around now. Get aft on yer posts. We will arrive at the mainland tomorrow evenin' an' I want everybody to be prepared."

Some protesting grumbles answered him, but his crew at least moved. They rose to their feet to stumble over to do their work again while Hongjoong himself returned to his spot at the wheel. Yunho's shadow took off with the order to cook something, and soon, they were peacefully crossing the ocean again. Everybody was leaning against whatever they were working on slightly heavier than usual, but it was fine. They would at least get a good night's rest and feel refreshed and awake tomorrow.

-

They anchored in a hidden bay in a safe distance from the Headquarters. It was still multiple hours of a journey away, and they would drop off the undercover part of the crew here and then approach from the other side.

Hongjoong was unwilling to let Seonghwa and Yunho go by themselves, but he also saw the importance of the mission those two had. He would not join their team since seeing him and Seonghwa together would raise too many suspicions and also take out both of the key figures if they got discovered.

Thus, he had to watch Seonghwa put on his gallant outfit from where he was sitting pouting on the bed. The man was meticulous in his styling and took extra care of his make-up and hair so that he would look as inconspicuous as possible. His posture and build helped the illusion, but in the right clothes, he looked every bit like the nobility he was trying to be.

Hongjoong liked and disliked this Seonghwa at the same time. He looked too delectable. Hongjoong did not want him to be strutting around anywhere that was not the ship looking like that.

"What be yer plan?" Hongjoong was staring at his feet, idly kicking where they were hanging over the edge of the bed. He was sitting in the middle of it and leaning on his arms as he watched Seonghwa get ready in the corner of the room. Him adjusting his cuffs and cravat with his nimble fingers looked unfairly attractive.

Seonghwa sent him a fleeting smile that was crooked at one corner.

"I have a meeting with Madame de Challant's brother, uhh... Baron Lorin. I'll meet him at the market place, and he will accompany me to Headquarters via carriage. And then I will try to distract everybody while Yunho infiltrates the guards and gets the keys. As soon as you guys arrive, we will break them out and flee."

Hongjoong frowned.

"I don't like the thought o' ye runnin' around alone within all them snakes. They be just ready to strike, whether they recognise ye or nay."

Seonghwa smiled mysteriously before stepping over to Hongjoong finally. He looked pristine and entirely out of place on a pirate ship. Hongjoong was too afraid to touch him out of fear of staining his white clothes with his dirty hands.

Seonghwa, however, smoothly framed Hongjoong's face with his beautiful hands.

"Of course, you don't. But we will go in there, get our boys and be right back out. It's nothing more than that, and after that, we can stop with the charades. It's only for a while." He playfully squished Hongjoong's cheeks so he could kiss his lips as they were pushed out into even more of a pout. His expression was oh so lovestruck with Hongjoong as he stepped back, and Hongjoong could not be mad with this Seonghwa right in front of him.

"I only allow this because o' them. If Wooyoung weren't so cute, we would 'ave stayed as far from this place as possible." Hongjoong reluctantly gave in. He knew perfectly well how important this mission was, but he was worried about Seonghwa.

"Aye, got it. I only do it for Mingi, too. Still have a score to settle with him for slamming me against the wall at that time all those years ago for reading a letter when I couldn't even read. Rude bastard." Seonghwa chuckled to himself as he went and tied the fancy epee with the roses wrapping around the handle around his hip. The prince persona slipped right onto him.

"And San be just kinda the ballast we can't shed out o' solidarity."

"Aye."

Both of them giggled to themselves, but it was free of all malicious intent. They were just playing to lighten the mood when, in reality, both of them were terribly tense. They had no idea what their friends had gone through in those past few months, and if the rumours about them being alive were even real. Maybe they were long since outdated, and their bodies were rotting in some cages outside of the harbour to set an example for other pirates.

Hongjoong could only pray for their well-being, and if they managed to come back with a complete and happy crew, it would be ideal. But he did not expect it to be easy. Infiltrating the whole Headquarters of the Royal Navy and emerging unscathed was a dream Hongjoong would not dare dream.

"Just kill them all if there be an issue. I'll be there if ye need 'elp. Oh, an' don't ye dare flirt with some pretty noble ladies again." Hongjoong rose when Seonghwa gently pulled him with him, stepping towards the entrance. He smelled of flowers now, having bathed in some heavy scent that would mask the stench of pirates and crimes.

"I would never. All I ever wanted is right here. I'll keep my hands off the pretty piano boys this time, too." Seonghwa turned towards him again before they reached the door and moved to take Hongjoong's hand.

The tension between them was thick and heavy with worry. Worry for the crew, their captured friends, and each other. They had to say bye again after such a short time of having reconciled in order to go on a possibly deadly mission. Hongjoong hated it, and his stomach had been in knots all day long because of it. If even one person discovered Seonghwa's true identity, he would never see the light of day again.

And Hongjoong would also never see him again.

"Hongjoong."

Hongjoong lifted his head from where he had been frowning at their shoes. Attentive, he searched Seonghwa's gaze.

The man made sure he was looking right at the captain as he lifted his hand with his own gloved one and pressed a gentle kiss to Hongjoong's knuckles. After he saw Hongjoong's cheeks blushing in the twilight of their room, he pressed more gentle kisses over his fingers. His long lashes fluttered as he shut his eyes.

Hongjoong's hands honestly looked tiny in the man's white gloves. His mother had been right.

"I'll make sure to come back. And if I need your help, I will call for you. I know you'll come." His voice was smooth and soothing, like a warm wind on a summer night. Hongjoong felt his shoulders relax remarkably at hearing those words.

"Don't ye dare go aft on that promise. A captain always returns."

"Aye. I've learned that."

Seonghwa smiled at him, his pained smile that always looked as if he was about to cry. His most natural one, that conveyed more emotion and an incredible Seonghwa-ness that Hongjoong had grown to love so much. He remembered thinking about that smile at night after he had first seen it when his crew had been teasing Seonghwa because of something. It was a precious smile, one that he never wanted Seonghwa to lose.

They did not kiss anymore; they had done enough of that. They also did not say goodbye, since this was none. They just stepped out together so Hongjoong could see both him and Yunho off.

The remains of the main crew were gathered outside in front of the plank that led down to the docks. The snowfall had started again and was coming down on them with thick white flakes that settled in everybody's hair and made Hongjoong inwardly groan about snow shovelling again. He told Seonghwa to be careful in the stairs as they joined their three friends on the main deck.

Jongho had a torch in one hand so they would not have to light up the ship more than necessary. It was throwing flickering shadows under his eyes and nose that made him appear more savage than he usually was.

Yeosang was right by his side and currently discussing the last few crucial notices with Yunho, who was dressed as a guard. Maybe he would pretend to be Seonghwa's servant or something.

When Seonghwa and Hongjoong caught up to them, Yeosang tried his best to cheer both up with a smile, but the night still felt eerie. It was as if it was forebodingparticular as if it was trying to warn them. Hongjoong did not like splitting up despite his gut feeling, but he would have no other choice.

The white noise of the waves in the background seemed to be the only thing surrounding them. Hongjoong's breath created little puffs of white in the air.

"I'm sure you'll do well. Seonghwa did a remarkable job of acting so far. You both just need to remember not to get hasty. This mission is all about patience. And please, for the sake of anything dear to us, make sure to shut those three loud idiots up as soon as you find them."

Yeosang would also be a distraction if they ever ran into trouble. If Seonghwa got discovered, then Yeosang would appear and tell them the sob story of his origin to confuse them for long enough for the rest to somehow break them free. Their plan was not fool-proof at all, but then again, why would it be? They were pirates; the only reason why they did not just go on a killing spree was the number of enemies.

Yet, Hongjoong was sure that there would be bloodshed. And if there were none, he would make sure that at least one special person would lift the bar a little. It was his only demand. He needed that man dead.

"Aye, we can do that. Are you ready to leave, Marquis?" Yunho turned to Seonghwa with a polite and practised smile painting his lips. In Hongjoong's eyes, he looked like an empty puppet, as if he was wearing another person's face as a mask. However, it could work.

Seonghwa stepped closer to hug first Jongho and Yeosang tightly, then Hongjoong. He stayed in Hongjoong's arms for a little longer than necessary, not speaking, just breathing in his scent. Hongjoong held him protectively, trying to make them melt together so he could give a piece of himself as protection to Seonghwa.

After Seonghwa ultimately stepped back, Hongjoong also got a bear hug from Yunho. The whole setting made him feel even sicker. It felt like a farewell. He did not like that.

"Take care. It's only a few days. You got the element of surprise on your side, Captain, make sure to utilise it to scare those bastards."

Yunho stepped back with a real smile and extended his hand towards Seonghwa so he could help him down the slippery plank like an actual gentleman would. Hongjoong leaned on the railing and checked on them leaving.

"I will. They'll see 'ell."

Seonghwa looked back towards Hongjoong, his face shining palely in the lights on the dock while his body was wrapped in his long black coat.

Hongjoong held their intense eye-contact as Jongho hurried off to raise the anchor again, and Yeosang bellowed orders over the ship.

It was not a farewell. It was only for a few days.


	16. Starry Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some smut until the arrow
> 
> If you don't get a chapter tomorrow, blame it on the Comeback Show xD

"Yeosang, I need-"

Hongjoong interrupted himself as he laid his eyes upon his navigator.

And oh, said navigator was far too busy for him.

Hongjoong had come into the galley to ask Yeosang for some opinions on how exactly he should disguise his real identity. When the man had told him earlier that he was going to fetch a snack, this was not what Hongjoong had been thinking of.

Yeosang was up against the wall, pinned down on it by Jongho's decidedly masculine naked body. Hongjoong got an eyeful of the younger man's naked rear as he was pounding Yeosang against the wall with one of the former prince's legs hooked around his waist. Yeosang was far paler than Jongho, so their skin tones contrasted noticeably with each other.

The captain rose his brow at them when they did not even notice him, Jongho just groaning and cursing under his breath while he tirelessly worked his hips. It was almost impressive to see how his muscles shifted in his shoulders and arms as he held the far more slenderly built navigator in his embrace. Judging from the way Yeosang had dug his fingers in the other man's tense arm and thrown his sweaty head back against the wall, Jongho was doing a reasonably good job.

Seeing Yeosang like this was always beautiful. Hongjoong, and especially San loved wrecking the man since he looked so pretty with his eyes clenched shut and a blush dusting his cheeks like fairy magic. Yeosang tended to bite his lips to hold his sounds back, but Jongho had somehow managed to convince him otherwise, and the man's sweet whines filled the air between them.

Indecisive, Hongjoong looked between them and the box with paint in his hand. 

In the end, he figured it was better not to interrupt them right now, especially if he had already barged in like this and was ignored. Obviously, they were busy with important navigator and carpenter things.

-> So, instead of bothering Yeosang, Hongjoong went to bully the rest of his crew into helping. He found them outside on the deck, playing a game of dice to get rid of the boredom of waiting until they would move. They had a few bottles of grog with them and were happily laughing with each other as Hongjoong joined them. Thankfully, it had not snowed today, so they at least had some dry planks to sit on, but with how they had huddled together, they enjoyed sharing each other's body warmth anyway.

The captain dropped down in their little circle with a huff and immediately received a bottle of his own so he could drink his stress away. It was actually not a bad idea.

"Missin' yer lubber, Cap'n?" One of them teasingly asked, and Hongjoong playfully gave him the death glare as he just giggled. It was a boyish and free sound, less plagued by the problems of their situation than the main crew sounded these days.

In his head, Hongjoong counted quickly.

Dahan was the youngest out of them. He had to be fourteen by now, somewhere around that corner. He had become a grown man. Hongjoong remembered San still carrying him in his arms when he had first joined the crew. 

"Shut up, rascal. Ain't ye missin' yer chef, too?" Hongjoong smirked at the group that responded with exaggerated yells and pitiful fake-sobs. They had long since outgrown their intense attachment to San and were rather focused on the whole crew by now. Part of the family. They had grown bigger, it was not a prostitute and the street rats anymore. It was the Pirate King and his mates.

Hongjoong took a big gulp of the alcohol, feeling it spread warmly in his stomach. Maybe it would help calm his nervous heartbeat down a bit. He had not been able to eat at all with his worry of where Seonghwa was right now and if he was still well. The constant paranoia of him, maybe already having been snatched away and put in some prison for interrogation, kept bothering Hongjoong. He would storm in there and kill every bastard that tried to keep them from each other, but he would rather not find Seonghwa bloodied and with missing fingers.

"Eh. It finally be quiet 'round 'ere."

Hongjoong kicked mischievous Seungmin's leg as he looked down at whatever score Hojun had gotten with his most recent throw. It seemed like Gyeongsu was in the lead.

"Yer bid?"

"Liar."

Liar's Dice, then. Their favourite game, as far as Hongjoong was concerned. Yeosang adored playing it with them ever since Hanbyeol had taught it to him. It required a lot of acting and keeping an eye on the other players, something Yeosang excelled in. Hongjoong himself rather enjoyed poker. Slipping a card or two in his sleeve was easier than tricking the dices.

"Be 'onest, did ye lie? I don't want any liars on me ship." Hongjoong turned to sternly glare at Hojun, who just whined into his wooden leg that had all of the crew member's names carved into it. Jongho had spent hours on it, and Hongjoong still quite liked how it had turned out.

"What do ye need, Cap? Ye be terribly bored if ye don't have yer little princess to play with."

"Ye all just be jealous because mature women still call ye striplings. I need someone to 'elp with me paint, though. Yeosang be busy with the carpenter." 

More hoots and lewd smirks were exchanged. Literally everyone was so relieved that Jongho and Yeosang had finally gotten on with it. Considering how they had been dancing around each other since forever, this sort of closure was what everybody had needed for their own mental health. Hongjoong had even considered locking both of them in a room until they had finally banged at least once, but as it seemed, they had actually gotten to that stage without his help.

"We can 'elp. Scoot o'er, matey, ye lost earlier already anyway." 

They pushed poor Dahan, who was still a little inexperienced in these games over to Hongjoong, making him pout at them. Hongjoong ruffled his hair, not being able to keep a soft smile off his face. The whole lot of them was just plain adorable in how they looked after each other, and Hongjoong had never once regretted taking them with him. At that time, it had seemed bothersome since he had merely wanted to free San from the hellhole he grew up in, but they had become little treasures themselves by now.

Maybe Hongjoong was having a sentimental time since his paranoia and gut feeling was messing with him.

And the oldest of them, Jaemin, he was one year younger than Jongho. Hanbyeol and Youjin had really lifted the bar, but now it was just a bunch of young men. A bunch that Hongjoong was very happy to have and that he felt extraordinarily fatherly and protective with.

Dahan settled next to Hongjoong with his legs tucked casually underneath his body. He reached for the bottle first, then for the paint, and carefully began applying it. The navy was not expecting him, but they were waiting even less for an old and weathered man to attack them. It was the best that Hongjoong had been able to come up with. Sure, he would have passed as a woman, too, but he needed personal freedom of clothing choices.

"What be yer plans after we be complete again? Ye gonna take a break with Seonghwa?" Hojun returned to the game while their conversation continued. Hongjoong's and Seungmin's feet were idly knocking against each other regularly.

"A feast first. Then I'd like to get rid o' 'is nasty shadow. An' then take 'im to some 'idden beach an' 'ave a jolly time. San can captain ye in the meantime." Hongjoong closed his eyes as Dahan smudged coal over them and listened to the banter between the boys as they discussed the game and his idea. Generally, they had nothing against it, but some complained about it being too soft and cheesy for Hongjoong. He just rolled his eyes at them behind the protection of his eyelids. Kids.

"Sounds nice." 

Hongjoong held back a cough as some of the itchy powder tickled his nose.

"Don't be too 'asty. Ye know 'ow San be captainin'." Hongjoong gave a chuckle at the reminder that got the rest of them to grin, too.

"I still can't believe that our Cap'n married, died, came aft an' be now startin' a war with the Royal Navy. 'ow many crews out there can boast with that?" Another one chirped, getting Hongjoong to sit a little straighter with a smug smirk painting his lips. Proudly, he pushed out his chest.

"Aye. Ye may call me cheesy, but I sure ain't easy to defeat."

"And your arrogance is half of your reputation."

Hongjoong cheerfully turned to look at Yeosang. Dahan got surprised by his sudden movement and quickly put the utensils down before he would accidentally get his whole face covered in weird squiggly lines.

"Heave, it be the main character o' the day. 'ow did yer breedin' go, 'ad a jolly time?"

Yeosang stuck out his tongue at him before he also joined their little circle. He was pretending not to blush as he shyly accepted another bottle that was handed to him. Maybe he disappeared just a little bit in Jongho's warm jacket that he was wrapped in.

"Shush. Don't make me say out loud what positions I caught _you_ in before. Not in front of the kids."

Protests arose. The kids in question did not consider themselves as such. Which was fair, they were pirates just like the rest of them, and they, too, had bounties on their heads. Hongjoong hated being called a kid at that age, also. 

Hongjoong motioned them to go back to their game with a dismissive flick of his hand. Grumbling, they did, while Dahan handed over the paint to Yeosang. Yeosang calmly began to finish their work while Dahan went back to fighting with the others about any possible cheatings going on in their intense game. It heated them up in the cold night, Hongjoong supposed. Just how the alcohol did. It was not nearly as good as having Seonghwa's warm body pressed up against him, but it sufficed.

"We're supposed to set sail soon. Dusk is closing in on us."

Hongjoong hummed as he looked up into the starry night. It looked like Seonghwa's eyes if he was completely honest. His actual, mesmerising eyes that were full of wonder and amazement. Not his sharp gaze filled with that peculiar darkness that Hongjoong had detected.

A little smile tugged on his lips without him noticing as he stared up at the endless sky and found Seonghwa in it.

"Whipped. Anyways, are you going to rest for a while? We are enough people to manage kinda. There shouldn't be too much trouble approaching."

Hongjoong weakly hit Yeosang's leg, trying not to move too much. He had all the right to be over the moon with his gorgeous husband. Just because Yeosang was lame as hell, he should not project onto others.

"I will, soon. Still 'ave some o' those drawings to put away."

Seonghwa had asked him to. He did not wish to look at them any longer since Hongjoong was back as they served as a reminder of those hard times now. Hongjoong had agreed to put them down, but he did not want to throw them out. He adored them too much for that. Seonghwa had spent countless hours thinking about him while he did them. Hongjoong wanted to treasure them.

"Can't sleep? I know how Yunho makes his teas."

Hongjoong shook his head slowly. Then, he lifted the bottle he was gripping tightly in his fist.

"I got me sleeping tea right 'ere. Ay, Yeosangie... If ye got a minute to spare these next few 'ours, try to think o' something we can welcome our mateys back with. I want them to forget whatever they 'ave been through o'er there as soon as possible."

Yeosang nodded indulgently. His face carried his usual serene expression of patience. He would surely come up with something.

When he was done with painting Hongjoong's face, he nodded at the man to go. Hongjoong did, stretching before saying his goodbyes. His mates cheerfully sent him off before going back to playing another round with Yeosang. Hongjoong would take just a little nap and try to eat something after to have as much strength as possible when their part of the mission began.

He could barely wait until it was all over, and they could return to their peaceful days.


	17. Sneaking In

Hongjoong gently dropped the corpse of another guard on the ground with as few noises as possible. The man's body slumped into a corner easily while Hongjoong wiped the blood sticking to his dagger on his pants. He nodded at Jongho to continue further in, and the man stepped over the two guards on the ground as they made their way down the corridor.

At the moment, Hongjoong and Jongho were pretending to be brassware. Jongho did a remarkably good job at that, being nearly thick-headed enough to pass as such.

Hongjoong and Jongho had slipped in through a back entrance in the middle of a merchant ship arriving. They had quickly disappeared in the mayhem of people hollering orders and men hurrying around to carry things from the boat to the base. Hongjoong considered making this their escape route, but since he did not know in which state they all would be when they moved out, this one might be a too crowded way.

Hongjoong pressed his back against a wall as some soldiers passed a tunnel crossing theirs. The tapping of their heavy footsteps quickly grew distant as they hurried through the tunnels carved in stone to whatever work they were needed at. He flipped the dagger in his hand, so it was pointing down before he continued once the coast was clear.

Jongho stayed close by his side. They were no more than two silhouettes that immediately became one with the shadows and dark niches if they had to.

They might as well have been two moths lost in the corners of the big building they were moving in. Moths that had no idea where to go.

"I assume that the brig be on the same level, but further in. It makes sense to keep them under the earth," Hongjoong muttered under his breath as they ventured further in. Right now, they were still close to the ocean. The base was right at sea and had its own row of docks for their ships to anchor at. From how they moved and the speed of their busy errands, Hongjoong expected the storage rooms to be near. The prisons probably were somewhere behind those.

"Leave it to me. This navy base might not be the same as the ones I 'ave been to, but I do remember some layout factors from the time I've 'ad jobs 'ere."

Hongjoong nodded carefully and let the other man pass him first before following his soundless steps. They were wearing soft boots that made no noise whatsoever and held their weapons close to their bodies so they would not scrape against the wall. For now, they would try not to alert anybody of their presence as long as possible and only fight if it was direly needed. Jongho had a few tricks up his sleeve should that be the case in the future.

They passed through the cold tunnels quickly and without another disturbance. Everybody was busy with the import of bulky goods, and nobody detected the two armed pirates sneaking through the darkness behind them. Hongjoong saw the same smugness he felt in his chest on Jongho's face as they skipped the main storage rooms and hurried into the corridors past them.

Both of them smirked wolfishly at each other, looking all like the pirates they were in the dancing light of the torches on the walls. They were in.

As they continued further down, Hongjoong started memorising the hallways in his mind, in case he needed it later. If they had to flee from a crowd of people through this, they would need to know where they were running.

He sure hoped his trio was in a running condition. They would be challenging to carry out of here.

"It be o'er there." Jongho pointed at a far door. It was made of robust wood that had a little window with bars in front of it that people could talk through. Hongjoong believed to distantly spot the heads of the guards on the other side through it.

Tense as they huddled in a corner, he looked at Jongho's pinched expression.

"So we wait?"

"Aye, we wait."

They were waiting on Seonghwa. Seonghwa would first check if their friends were even still alive and in what condition they were in. Depending on his judgement, Jongho and Hongjoong would react differently. And as soon as Seonghwa caused a distraction, they were getting the hell out of there.

"'ow long did we walk 'ere?"

"Like thirty minutes since we entered. We can run that in ten."

"Fifteen if I got a Mingi on me shoulder."

Fifteen minutes was too long. Too long for them to escape the alarms that would go off as soon as they were seen. Yeosang was their only hope.

Gnawing on his lips, Hongjoong attentively stared at the door. No noise sounded to the point of the silence being deafening. He shifted just a bit, so his ear was pressed against Jongho's chest, where he was wedged between the man and the wall. Listening to his fastened heartbeat calmed Hongjoong down considerably.

Another twenty minutes had to pass before something happened. By the time voices got loud, Hongjoong's legs were already asleep, and his knees protested as he stood up straight.

"Oh. The trade from Wiantan sure had its interruptions when those rogues first appeared. Yet, they are our most crucial allies! If the trade were to stop completely, we might lose our ties with them. That would be a tragedy."

Hongjoong grinned as he heard Seonghwa spill all those pretentious words that Yeosang had drilled into his head so he could pretend to be one of status. He could not wait to have Seonghwa back on the ship, dressed like a pirate, free and happy. He also desperately wished to see the look on the navy guys' faces when they noticed their mistake.

Sweet revenge.

"I agree wholeheartedly. If I were to set out with a team of my best men to go fight their evil deeds and bring justice to the desert lands, would you join me, Marquis?"

"Definitely. Good evening, Gentlemen." Seonghwa's silky voice was treacherously smooth as they greeted the guards. They were on the other side of the door, where Hongjoong presumed the cells to be, and apparently, it was only two guards there, who greeted them back.

"Good evening. You came to see the captured pirates?" The man sounded gruff and not used to sophisticated speech. Hongjoong pitied him.

"Indeed. Is it safe to visit their cells?"

"If you stay outside the bars, yes. It's down here and to the right."

Seonghwa's companion seemed to turn and leave already, but Seonghwa stayed to ask again.

"Won't you accompany us?"

A deep chuckle.

"Not necessary. There are two more men down there, and I can assure you that no harm will overcome you."

Seonghwa stalled more, and Hongjoong saw the problem. They would not hear him anymore if they rounded the corner. Getting closer posed the risk of getting discovered.

Cursing, he strained his ears.

"Ah, then you chained them up, I hope. Such bars cannot hold every pirate," Seonghwa small talked a bit. Hongjoong prayed to every god that they would not see through his lame scheme.

However, the guard seemed relaxed. Smug, even. It seemed like a lot of noble visitors came by to stare at the prisoners like animals in a zoo. Hongjoong kept himself from shuddering in distaste and instead just balled his hands to fists.

"Rest assured. They are drugged out of their minds and slumbering like little babies. If you need to talk to them, you'll have to return tomorrow before they get their breakfast."

Drugs. Hongjoong did not expect that. He had been prepared for torture and rape, but not drugs. Would they be able to flee? Would they even recognise their captain?

Unsure, he exchanged a glance with Jongho that had the man grit his jaw.

Again, they listened.

"I see! I've heard of the magnificent herbalist His Majesty had hired! I never saw him work before, though. I'm excited to study how his little potions work. However, I haven't managed to meet him in any of my celebrations... He is a rare sight."

Both guards and his companion laughed comradely.

"Indeed, friend, Bang Yongguk's a special one! I've also been trying for years to get around meeting him, but I never could. Maybe we will manage next time! Now, shall we?"

Finally, their steps took off while Hongjoong leaned against the wall. He let go of a breath he had not noticed he had been holding. Damn, that were the tensest five minutes of his life.

Jongho, too, sighed quietly.

"Yongguk," he murmured with a disbelieving shake of his head. Hongjoong weakly grinned at him.

"'e must 'ave 'eard then. Their drugs might be fake. Maybe they be even expectin' us tonight, 'e does 'ave 'is methods o' contactin' people, after all." Hongjoong's whisper was quiet enough not to echo through the halls. He finally relaxed his hands again.

Jongho nodded carefully before spying out the door again.

"We'll wait until Hwa leaves then, an' storm in to get them. Maybe these tunnels be indeed the fastest route."

"'ere, fer sure. They would rather 'ave as much space as possible between their own precious quarters an' the brig, but if ye put the brig close to the waters, ye can get rid o' dead bodies more quickly."

Still, there was no way to get out of here without alerting everybody. So they needed an excellent route before they ran. Getting out was far more difficult in such situations than entering.

He wondered if they could at least dodge the majority of the merchants outside. They were too many to slay in passing, and they would just block their way and slow them down.

Maybe Yeosang could work with that, though. He had already seen the issue before they had left and murmured something about a plan.

Another few uncomfortable minutes passed with Hongjoong standing pressed tightly against Jongho and breathing flatly. Hongjoong was always paranoid that anybody would walk these corridors at any time, and he would miss it. It could literally not be overheard, yet his stomach coiled with worry.

Usually, these heists had him going with adrenaline and excitement, but this time, too much was on the line. It was not their team attacking a base together. It was the five of them separately struggling to stay alive. Hongjoong quite disliked the situation.

After a while, the steps behind the door picked up again. They got closer until they stopped somewhere near the guards again.

"So?"

"Impressive. I had assumed them to look worse. I've heard about the cruel deeds some high governmental figures put their prisoners through just out of spite. I'm surprised that this did not happen here. Surprised, but also impressed. I think justice is only then just when it is used wisely and rightfully."

Hongjoong gagged, Jongho grimaced. What complete nonsense.

"Oh, no, they only rest all day long. They are special guests, after all. The public is too rabid to see them be taken apart in front of them. We wouldn't damage such precious ware. But for the right price, I might have you have a go at one of them if you leave no traces. They are unconscious anyway and especially that muscular one-"

"That... Won't be necessary." Seonghwa tried his hardest not to show his disgust. "Just like many other people, I want to see them suffer through their trial and execution soberly. I'd rather not touch their dirty bodies."

"Captain." Jongho suddenly placed his hand on Hongjoong's chest, gently pushing him back against the wall. Distracted, Hongjoong's head snapped around to him, his eyes flittering unseeing.

"Calm down. Careful with the weapon."

Hongjoong forced himself to breathe deeply once again. He had been pressing his blade a little too closely against Jongho's side. He swallowed down the ugly anger bubbling inside his chest and reminded himself to wait. Just a while longer.

"I see, I see. Fine, then. I take it you came here to complain, too? We've been keeping them for way too long."

Seonghwa's friend spoke up.

"I agree! If not for those troubles, we could have long since seen them hang! We are here to tell them why they should get the order through immediately. Any other day is a waste of time. Their Captain died anyway!"

Hongjoong rose his brow in challenge. He would show them how dead he truly was.

"Good idea. We love some new faces here, and theirs are getting old. I also don't think we can lure anybody with those three. They were ditched."

"We'll speak to the admiral again. I hope soon, you will be relieved of them. Have a good day." Lorin guy sounded agitated and deeply personally offended. Hongjoong wondered if Seonghwa would let him live.

"You too!"

With that, Seonghwa and the other Lord left. The guards exchanged another few comments before finally falling quiet, too.

Hongjoong tightened the grip around his dagger.

"Let's go."

Jongho followed him with murderous intent glinting in his eyes.


	18. Meeting Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gory elements until the arrow

Hongjoong stared into the disgusting guard's eyes as he slowly saw the life drain out of them. He had the man pinned against the door they had been guarding until just recently. Hongjoong was in the process of cutting the man's tongue out of his mouth while said man was trying to scream and not suffocate on the masses of blood he swallowed at the same time.

Hongjoong grimaced as the man spit a mixture of blood and saliva all over his face. In response, he pressed the knife down harder, feeling it slide easily through the man's soft flesh.

When he finally finished the jagged line with one of his bluntest knives, he lazily flicked the large piece of dead muscle out of the man's mouth. After that, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

The man was paling quickly as the blood loss took him over. Mere seconds later, he crashed onto his knees only to gurgle out another disgusting noise as his hands that were nailed against the door over his head took the weight.

Hongjoong frowned when the man's flesh ripped open, and he uselessly fell into the pool of blood and urine that had gathered underneath his body. With a shake of his head at the mess the man had made, Hongjoong stepped over to him again. As he crouched down in front of the man, he did so deliberately as not to shock the poor soldier even more. The man was too weak even to scramble away, his eyes glassy already.

"Give me a minute to check on me mates. If ye laid a 'and on them that vile tongue be not the only thin' I will cut off ye," he murmured deeply and quietly, so it stayed a secret between the two of them.

Nothing more than the last wheeze sounded, then the man finally died a hopefully excruciating death. He deserved it.

Hongjoong stepped back from him before his puddle could soak his soft boots and set out to catch up with Jongho. The corpse of the other guard was lying on the ground right next to some cell door while his head had rolled further down the corridor. A few prisoners that had nothing to do with the crew of ATEEZ were cackling and poking at it, ripping it further apart like a group of hungry vultures.

-> Smug, Hongjoong stepped into the corridor to his left. Jongho was further up and just busy with unlocking a cell door. The other two guards that were supposed to stand vigil here were thrown in a heap on the floor. Both of them had the marks of his spiked brass knuckles on their faces, but Hongjoong could not bring himself to pity them. Cold, he passed them and waited next to the cell as Jongho went in. Here, he was out of sight from the iron bars door and hidden behind a solid wall. Maybe they could spare their boys from the worst shock.

Jongho murmured Mingi's name as quietly as possible to check on him. Hongjoong imagined they were out cold on their cots, maybe drugged beyond consciousness, maybe sober. It all depended on Yongguk and the wisdom of the guards.

"Mingi. It be me. I know ye be alive."

A deep chuckle answered him.

"Aye, no kiddin'."

Jongho had to laugh at that, too. They moved around a bit, probably Jongho helping Mingi to his feet and receiving his obligatory hug. While they were busy, Hongjoong carefully spied around the corner and down the corridor. For now, it was still eerily quiet.

When Hongjoong turned, Mingi just stepped out of his cell with Jongho steering him at the shoulder. It seemed half like a comforting gesture, half as if he wanted to hold him up, and maybe it was direly needed.

Mingi's eye met with Hongjoong's, and for a second, both of them fell quiet. Tense and awkward silence enveloped them.

Then, Mingi abruptly turned and went to go back into his cell. Holding on for dear life, Jongho even went as far as wrapping him up into his arms so he would stay there. Rendered defenceless, Mingi was left with no other option than to stare at Hongjoong disbelievingly.

Hongjoong took the time to scrutinise his first mate, too. He looked a tad scrawnier than usual, his bones jutting out just a little too much. Hongjoong frowned when he could detect the lines showing just how thin he had become on his chest. He wanted to give the man a ton of food and wrap him in some clean clothes. The white shirt he was wearing was grimy and hung wrinkly over his black pants.

When Mingi first tried to speak, his voice broke, but he quickly caught himself and repeated himself after clearing his throat.

"I spied that matey die."

He said it towards Jongho, but he did not take his eye off Hongjoong for a second. His sharp gaze wandered up and down his form repeatedly, as if he was trying to find a fault that would end the illusion.

Hongjoong meekly scratched his head.

"Well... I actually lived. An' came aft?" He offered helplessly.

Mingi stared at him for a while longer. Then, he stonily nodded.

"Neat."

Hongjoong gave a little smile. The man was still obviously shocked, but at least it was just that and not actual drugs. Indeed, Mingi just looked like Yongguk had fed him some daisies. He was as fine as he could be after four months in jail.

Hongjoong was just moving to open the other cells since he did not trust Mingi to stand without Jongho's explicit help. However, before he got that far, Mingi pushed the other man's hand off and closed in on his captain. Hongjoong stumbled, surprised when the pirate's large hands found purchase on his narrow hips and pulled him in.

Mingi leaned in smoothly, right towards Hongjoong's face that was still frozen in place with his eyes widened. Before their lips could meet, Mingi mumbled again, the vibrations of his voice husky in his throat.

"Seonghwa won't cleave me at the brisket if I steal just one kiss, right?"

Hongjoong chuckled, finally understanding the man's intentions. Immediately, he melted against the other man and brought his hands up to his broad shoulders.

"'e'll be fine." With that, Hongjoong leaned in himself to share his first kiss with Mingi after a very long time.

Mingi's lips were slightly more chapped than usual, but they still had the natural softness that came with them being so plush. Hongjoong thought that out of all the crewmates, Mingi probably had the best lips to kiss, if he disregarded technique. Mingi liked sloppy kisses, and that was precisely what he gave Hongjoong right now.

It was apparent with how the man fell into him that he had been lonely. Lonely, and completely touch-starved with no Yunho to throw himself at close by.

His hands were restless as they moved over Hongjoong's body. He was touching and grabbing, feeling him up everywhere as if he had not only to remember but also share the warmth of another body close to him.

Hongjoong pressed back, biting his thick lips as he took over the kiss with a gentle force, so Mingi would remain in the right headspace for them to flee after. He did not need the man to slip into a dog in heat mode at this place. Thus, he tangled his fingers in Mingi's hair as their lips wetly glided over each other, and Hongjoong arched into the other man prettily.

He had always adored the height difference he had to both Yunho and Mingi. They completely engulfed his body and made him feel so secure at times he needed that kind of reassurance.

Mingi's tongue dirtily tangled with Hongjoong's right in the moment that an overly dramatic gasp sounded somewhere behind them.

And that sounded suspiciously like a very much alive Choi San.

Hongjoong was already preparing for the onslaught and expected to get ripped right out of Mingi's arms, but instead, it was another arm that joined Mingi's at his hip.

Startling, Hongjoong felt his head gently being nudged aside by one very rude individual who immediately threw his tongue in the mix. For a second, Hongjoong allowed it, then the position and closeness got too uncomfortable for him. 

Thus, he grabbed San's hair with his other hand and directed his hot lips at him only. San immediately had his inappropriate tongue down Hongjoong's throat, flicking his piercing against the roof of his mouth in greeting.

Hongjoong allowed him to latch onto him like some leech and felt his lips start to hurt when San kissed them with a bruising force. When it got too much to him to bear, he ripped the man off with a gasp by his hair.

San's moan made a few prisoners giggle dirtily when it openly resonated through the tunnels.

For a second, he stared down at Hongjoong with lidded eyes, and his swollen lips parted around his heavy breaths. As usual, the man looked like some sensual demon one should stay as far away from as possible. Hongjoong fierily returned his gaze. Their chests brushed against each other with heavy breaths.

Then, a lazy smirk appeared on San's lips. His eyes rolled back as he let his defences drop, and his head sink back. He openly bared his throat at Hongjoong, showing submission.

Satisfied, Hongjoong let go of him. As he stepped back, San straightened his posture and licked Hongjoong's taste off his lips. Then, his dark eyes met Hongjoong's again.

"So... Be ye 'is bastard shadow or our Hongjoong?"

His voice was sultry enough to make Hongjoong want to force him down on his knees to see him whimper. Clearly, the man had had too much free time to grow even wilder during his time in prison.

However, when Hongjoong let his hands slide down San's arms, he noticed him wearing considerably different clothes than Mingi. He was donning a black vest that was open until halfway down his chest and multiple tight metal rings around his arms. Hongjoong absent-mindedly brushed his fingers over them and felt up the man's muscles in the process.

His black pants matched the vest and showed off his pretty legs and tiny waist. In all, he did not look like a prisoner at all.

Hongjoong suspiciously eyed the bandage around his arm. Had he been in a fight?

"The real one, or else I wouldn't 'ave taken 'im 'ere. 'e can explain at 'ome. Fer now, I would rather 'ave us 'urry to be gone, ye filthy dogs o' 'ere." Jongho casually replied from where he was just letting an impatient Wooyoung out. The man was already glued to the bars with his eager eyes fixed on Hongjoong. He bounced a little on his feet, and Hongjoong finally took his hands off San so he could recollect himself.

They were all fine. Nobody was hurt too bad.

"What did ye do 'ere?"

"Made some mates. When the females in 'ere fancy ye, ye get to fight fer better grub. A little wink 'ere an' there an' they be on their knees." Smug, San waggled his eyebrows at them.

He was nearly too calm for the situation, nearly too relaxed, but it was not hard to see it was just a facade he was wearing. His fingers dug into Hongjoong's shoulder to the point of leaving marks on his skin, and he did not take his intense eyes off Hongjoong even for a second. Not even when Wooyoung sprung free and right into their little circle of people.

He wrapped one arm around San and Hongjoong each and got caught by both of them in return as he pressed sweet kisses to both of their lips. Hongjoong smirked at him when Wooyoung looked at him with pure awe. His shock had already switched out for a disbelieving joy, and he, too, could not stop subtly touching Hongjoong.

All of them had to make sure he was real constantly, and Hongjoong thought it was adorable.

Jongho came back to them with a sigh and comfortably slung an arm around Mingi as the other man immediately cuddled up to him. Searchingly, he checked the cells.

"So, shall we get that fellow scum out o' 'ere, too? Or will they cause too much o' a distraction?"

Doubting, Hongjoong looked into one cell that held a pirate that grinned darkly at them. He shook his head in the end.

"Leave them. They will 'ave their ways to get the keys an' by then we be 'opefully far enough fer them not to immediately stab us."

Wooyoung sweetly dropped his head onto Hongjoong's shoulder, still quiet. Hongjoong believed to feel him tremble with tears under his fingers, but he did not want to check.

Not now.

"Let's go. We can discuss it all after we be out o' 'ere." He gently patted San's waist before sending them off. Now, they only had to meet up with Seonghwa and flee.


	19. The Alarm goes off

San whistled appreciatively as he stripped off the weapons of the man Hongjoong had mutilated earlier. He snatched his sword wordlessly, and also gained a pistol that he handed over to Wooyoung right away. Their fingers brushed and remained nestled against each other for just a moment before they pulled away.

Hongjoong's heart ached for them. He would need to do lots of talking and making sure they eased back into the crew as soon as they returned. He did not want them to feel left out after all that time, and he needed to know exactly what had happened to them during the past four months. He would not accept any silence regarding such dire matters. Hongjoong himself had spent enough time of his life locked up to know that letting them stay quiet would be a grave mistake.

As soon as they were back, he would make sure that they would eat until their stomachs would burst and everybody would be sated. And then they could just talk throughout the entire night. They could explain, Hongjoong could, and Seonghwa could, too. They deserved that kind of closure.

"What be our plan?" Wooyoung was sticking close to San while Mingi nervously shifted from one leg to the other next to Jongho. The youngest was usually the man he could rely on during their fights when he had to hide in the middle of a battlefield. Hongjoong prayed that he would manage to worm his way through. He would keep an eye on him. Having Mingi out here in the open unprotected made his skin itch with nervousness.

"Get our o' 'ere, run down them tunnels an' aft to the Precious. 'ope that Yeosang 'as a jolly plan to keep them distracted while we take off."

It sounded so easy, but Hongjoong knew it would not be. The merchants would notice them for sure. Yet, he motioned them to get moving.

They were just heaving the body of the guard away from the door, so they could escape when on the stairs to their left that unmistakenly led up to more sophisticated areas of the base noises sounded.

All five of them froze, straining their ears and not moving an inch as the hurried steps grew closer.

"I'm telling you, I've heard it! Leave it to me to-"

Hongjoong protectively moved in front of his crew when a person emerged from the stairwell. Instead of continuing his neck break tempo down the corridor, the arriving man quickly came face to face with Hongjoong. The stranger froze right at the moment that he noticed them blocking his path, his eyes going comically wide at the sight of the escaping prisoners.

A tense silence spread between them as the guy just looked at them, and Hongjoong hesitated to knock him out since he looked far too peaceful. It did not seem like he belonged in a prison.

Seonghwa appeared behind him right when he finally decided to open his lips to scream. His white-gloved hand came to wrap around the man's mouth, and with one smooth move, he yanked at the man's head hard enough to break his neck. The satisfying crack made the still retained prisoners holler. Seonghwa quietly dropped the man's body. From how the stranger looked rather scrawny and weak, Hongjoong assumed that he was the companion that had guided his husband earlier.

Hongjoong grinned brightly at Seonghwa. As he responded to the smile, his expression looked a little contorted since he was wearing makeup. Hongjoong pouted a bit at that fact, wanting to see his natural face.

"Wash it off. Not as if we need it anymore, they should know whom they be playin' with. An' that it been a damn to the depths lousy idea, too."

Seonghwa nodded indulgently and slipped out of his white jacket to use it to wipe the paint off. Afterwards, he handed it over to Hongjoong and let him do the same. When he was done, he threw the piece of clothing away and waited patiently as Seonghwa put on his war paint instead. He was by now so used to the movements that he could do it within seconds, and soon he lifted his eyes to them again.

They were sharp and calculating now. The glint in them hinted at whatever malicious intent he had, and Hongjoong couldn't deny the sudden swirl of arousal that made his insides clench.

Soon. Just a little longer.

When everybody was finally ready, Hongjoong moved over to the door.

"I'll go first. Jongho, last."

With that, he stepped down the corridor fearlessly. He tried to predict an attack with all of his senses, but the constant noise of Seonghwa's shoes that echoed through the halls and their mingling breaths distracted him. It was still too suspiciously quiet.

The flickering light on the wall danced with manic happiness that was out of place in the sinister ambience they were crossing through. Everybody had fallen quiet with how much the air was pregnant with anxiety. Seonghwa looked like an appearance out of a nightmare with his painted face and white silken clothes.

Hongjoong hurried down the corridors exactly how he had memorised them. His crew followed with poised weapons, like a sneaking and merciless death coming to get anybody who tried to avoid him at night.

However, then they passed the storeroom area, they found it void of any people. All crates and barrels had been brought in, but no person was in sight. Hongjoong doubted that they had finished and left so quickly.

He held his arm out, motioning the others to halt as he carefully peeked his head inside the room. There was no soul in sight, just some shuffling rats squeaking quietly to themselves in a corner.

"Where did they go?" Jongho, too, got the hint and murmured especially lowly so the sound would get lost in the long halls. Hongjoong moved back towards his group, exchanging unsure glances with the exit.

"I didn't 'ear any o' them discussin' any plans. Everybody up there was pretty relaxed. Maybe they recognised me indeed an' fooled us all. Do ye think it be a trap?" Seonghwa moved closer to Hongjoong so they could see each other's faces in the twilight of the corridor.

Hongjoong's chest felt tight as he nodded. With a nervous glance down the corridor, he tried to find the best possible escape route for them. They could move up, but they would get lost in a mess of surroundings they had barely any knowledge of. But if they were to leave through the route they had come from, an ambush might expect them as soon as they emerged.

In the end, it was Mingi, who put a hand on Hongjoong's shoulder to give a gentle squeeze.

"It be alright, Cap'n. We be ready to fight. Ye two be our men o' war an' the rest o' us be very keen on gettin' out o' 'ere as fast as possible." His deep voice was soothing to Hongjoong's soul after such a long time apart from him. Even if he had not felt those four months too much, he was keenly aware of how much time they had spent inside here.

With a deep breath, Hongjoong squeezed Mingi's hand. Then, he searched Seonghwa's eyes. The man quietly nodded. Not another word needed to be spoken. Instead, they immediately set out to run down the rest of the way the corridor.

The exit grew closer quickly, its darkness seeming like the sweetest of all webs. Hongjoong once again stopped the group with his hand before anybody could run out onto the large area in front that they might usually use for meetings with people coming from the docks.

The group waited tensely, their faces pale and jaws grit.

Again, everything was uncomfortably quiet. They were too far from the ocean to hear its song lull them to calmness gently. No masses of water and no swaying ship surrounded them.

Yet, it was so close. Yeosang was down there and waiting to go right away. They just had to survive the seemingly endless way to the Precious.

Hongjoong cautiously peeked his head outside and searched the rocky surroundings of the area for any signs of enemies. It was nearly ridiculous. It was such a vast place, so perfect for fighting on. They would be encircled by the soldiers within seconds if they tried to step foot out there.

Hongjoong just wondered whether it was worth it to try sneaking slowly over the rocks, so they may not get seen when an impatient tug to his sleeve made him startle. Just when he ducked back in to ask what the issue was, he heard it.

Footsteps, many of them. They were running down the corridor.

Then, a loud and clear voice bellowing an order.

"They are down here! Capture them and bring them to the admiral!"

"Sink me, they be comin'!"

"Do we run?"

Hectically, Hongjoong looked from one to the next. They were all staring at him with wide eyes, barely any hope shining through the shock in their expressions. They were outnumbered.

Hongjoong felt his initial panic blend into icy coldness. Within a second, he became numb to it, the leader inside of him taking over. Resolutely, he spanned his fingers around the grip of his dagger.

"Merge with yer shadows. We be tryin' to run, so only take them bastards out ye need. We be tryin' to flee as we be speakin'."

Stony nods wherever he looked. They would follow.

Hongjoong just moved to break out completely, when a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

Before Hongjoong knew what was happening, his back already collided with the wall. Then, there was a body pressed up against him and seething hot lips on his.

A little moan escaped him as he felt Seonghwa crowd completely into his space. Just how the last few times, he used his height to his advantage as he kissed down onto Hongjoong with a bruising force. It was desperate and slick, their tongues and teeth clashing painfully as their bodies arched against each other. Both of them used their free hands to grab at anything they could, and Hongjoong did not even mind the rough scratch of his head against the wall.

With a last dirty grind down onto Hongjoong's crotch, Seonghwa pulled off, gasping for breath. Their kiss had not lasted for long, but it had been deep enough to leave Hongjoong's lips tingling, and his body yearn for more.

Hongjoong stared at Seonghwa's lips with lidded eyes for a second. The red paint on his lips was smeared slightly, making him look even more savage. Hongjoong loved it.

"Avast."

With that, they finally ran out.

Hongjoong expected the first sword to come right down on him the second he stepped a foot out on the platform. However, instead of deadly swords, it was blinding light that suddenly hit them. A huge headlight that might as well have been part of a lighthouse blared at them from somewhere on the building that rose high into the sky behind them.

Temporarily blinded, Hongjoong squirmed under the light, trying to regain his bearings. He was not sure whether he was going in the right direction anymore, and every time he opened his eyes, a spike of white pain zapped through them like lightning.

And it was then, in that moment of utter loss that they were attacked.

Hongjoong only reacted out of pure luck since Jongho gave a warning grunt and forced his eyes to open as he blocked the first sword with his own. He was double-wielding his weapons today and thus had an easy time blocking with his sword and spilling the attacker's guts on the floor with his dagger.

However, one man was followed by many more. He was barely gone when there was already another one slipping into his place and attacking with new strength.

Hongjoong grit his teeth as he held his ground. They were moving in a circle with Mingi in their middle, and as long as Hongjoong would feel the shoulders of his mates press against him, he would fight. He still had lots of protect.

Brutally, he slew another man.

Just a little longer. Then they would be back to normal.


	20. Old Aquaintances

The grunts and screams of fighting and dying men made for a horrendous cacophony in the night at the naval base. Even the sky seemed to be weeping, sending them an icy coldness that made their noses sting and bodies desperate to stop the fighting and instead get some warmth. The ground was littered with bodies, and every inch of it was slippery with blood. Hongjoong had to pay great attention to where he was putting his feet. Sometimes, he also had to stomp on the men on the ground that may have gone down but were still reaching for the pirates' ankles to try and make them fall.

They had been fighting for over half an hour by now, and Hongjoong could feel his stamina and strength diminish with every ruthless hit he blocked. The trained men here were not tiring since they were regularly exchanged with new ones, and Hongjoong was not made for having long battles such as these. Considering how many people they were, the crew did a phenomenal job at staying alive, but the masses would ultimately swamp over them. There was no way that the five of them would be able to kill hundreds of soldiers, umbras or not.

Thus, they tried to defend themselves to the best of their abilities. They were slowly being pushed back further towards the cliffs and the docks since, despite the plans of the navy formation, the actual battle quickly got too dangerous and intense to keep it up. Hongjoong's group was getting closer to their goal slowly, but running would make no sense at all. If these men followed, a departure would not be possible.

Hongjoong was trying to brainstorm ideas to exit this predicament, too, but he was far too busy staying alive for it to work well. They would have to get Mingi out of here, also, and Yunho was nowhere in sight still. Too many factors worked against their favour. They needed a break to recollect themselves, but no such thing would be possible in the middle of fighting a horde of steely soldiers.

With a grunt, Hongjoong pushed off the muscular body of a man that had just spilt his blood all over Hongjoong's clothes. He was sticky and itchy with all the body fluids and guts that stuck to him, and the strain in his arms whenever he lifted his weapons was no good sign either. If one of them fell, the whole group would break apart.

From the looks of it, his crew was holding up slightly better than him since they had the magic of their umbras fuelling them. However, even they had sweat running down their necks and injuries they had suffered in the long minutes of fighting. San was swirling his weapons with the most energy out of them, but even his eyes had hardened from the seriousness of the situation.

They needed a change of plans. Like this, they would soon just get swallowed up. He was not sure if the soldiers would kill them right away or if they would try for a public execution, but from how they had baited them and then trapped them here, he doubted they would be too benevolent. After all the time they had spent waiting for them to walk right into their waiting arms, Hongjoong dared to assume that they would get rid of them sooner rather than later.

So, in order to save whatever possible, Hongjoong used his little break. Over the clanking of swords and the groans of agony from everywhere, he directed his voice at his crew.

"Mateys! Create a barricade so that Mingi can get to safety! We retreat!" He cut down another man that was trying to thwart their plan.

Immediately, everybody shifted. Contrary to the soldiers, their little group worked like a well-oiled machine. Soon, every one of them found themselves fending off a group of people while the route down to the docks was open for Mingi to run.

And he did. With the use of his long legs, he hurried down the path. A few soldiers managed to dodge the crew and go after him, but Hongjoong was confident in Mingi's running skill. If he managed to get to the ship, Yeosang would receive him there and shoot those bastards down.

Hongjoong riskily jumped back from another blade that came at him and crossed swords with the man for a second before finishing him. As usual, he stared directly in their eyes as he fought. It had worked before, people hesitating or moving back when second-guesses overcame them. Especially young cadets who were relatively new to the killing faltered when a person stared at them while they did it.

Sometimes, when it was a one-on-one fight, and one of the young boys they sent to kill to Pirate King got scared enough facing him that their knees started to tremble, he even spared them. Sometimes it was not worth it, seeing that fear in their youthful eyes. He knew all too well that lots of young lives got sacrificed by the higher-ups for their selfish goals. Enough of the teenagers in the force were not even there out of their own free will but because they needed their pay to live.

Apparently, that was worth getting sacrificed to blood-thirsty pirates. The kids in Hongjoong's crew all knew what they had gotten themselves into, and they were happy with what lives they lived. This was not the case for everyone.

Sometimes Hongjoong was sick of killing the kids that had no reason nor wish to fight him.

But these people, they were the best of the best, the elite that was reserved for Headquarters. He had no qualms with these people, and he would not spare a single one. Even if they all came at him at once, he would fight them all.

With the minutes passing, Hongjoong let himself be pushed back more and more. They were still standing in the massive light beam, but by now, they were reaching the outer edge of its reach. It made seeing a little more bearable, especially since the sky was lightening in an invitation for the day to join them.

With gritted teeth, the pirate pushed another man back that had left a long stinging cut on his thigh. He was becoming weaker, and the enemy seemed to pick up on that.

However, he still managed to get through. He barely smelled the stench of death anymore, his ears gradually deafening from the intensity of noise on the field. Every movement came automatically, but every corpse more on the ground made it more challenging to manoeuvre around.

Until one time, he actually stumbled.

For a second, he was in a state of falling while his heart stopped for a few hectic beats. His defences were down, his whole body vulnerable as he lost balance.

His current agitator came after him with blazing eyes and a victorious grin. His sword was raised high and ready to come down on him immediately.

Then, a shot sounded. Hongjoong landed softly on some corpse.

The man in front jerked away as the bullet hit his head and killed him on the spot. As he fell, he made the man behind him tumble, too. Both of them struggled for a moment that Hongjoong used to throw a thankful glance at Wooyoung, who had already gone back to fighting without abandon.

With a deep breath and his heart getting back to work, Hongjoong pushed himself back up on his feet.

Again, he let his sword speak for him and sing its melody as it cut the air to spill more life on the ground. Fighting became an automatic response, every second a struggle to stay alive. He was not thinking anymore, just hacking and stabbing at anything that moved with no further elegance.

And it was then, that Hongjoong was suddenly grabbed rather brusquely at his shoulder. With a yell, he lifted his aching arm, trying to fend the attacker off. Despite having moved further towards the cliffs by now, the stream of enemies still seemed endless. They would not be able to hold up for much longer.

In a desperate and way too uncalculated move, Hongjoong tried hitting his enemy. However, instead of a blade to his chest, he got warm arms that wrapped around his waist. Suddenly, a taller body was pressed up against him, a very familiar body at that.

Confused, Hongjoong allowed himself a second of hesitation. Why had Seonghwa suddenly tumbled into his arms? Was he hurt?

Worriedly, Hongjoong moved to check his body for significant injuries when he finally had the mind to glance over Seonghwa's shoulder.

And there, right on the balcony of the navy base that had that horrible headlight pointed at him, stood a man with an outdated longbow. His body was tensed as his arm pulled the bowstring taut via the arrow he held in a gloved hand.

It would have been such an aesthetic picture if not for two factors.

The man up there bathed in the first rays of the orange sun that breached the horizon was a man that Hongjoong knew all too well. Seeing his face made his throbbing body flame up with hot anger and nervousness at the same time.

It was the man who had killed him.

And his weapon was pointed at the spot where Seonghwa's back was now.

"No-" Before Hongjoong could yell out or move Seonghwa out of the way, the arrow already snapped from its hold. It flew too fast for the eye to see and then hit its mark in the time that Hongjoong's eyes took to widen in panic.

He barely felt the impact. Seonghwa gave the barest grunt of pain as a little jerk moved his body against Hongjoong's. Still, he was holding on stubbornly.

Hot tears spiked in Hongjoong's eyes before he could find his voice. His heart had stopped beating altogether, and his insides hurt from how bad they were clenching. Naked fear took him over and pushed every thought out of his brain.

"No, no, Seonghwa, wait-"

Seonghwa stumbled when another hit made his body shudder. A pained noise escaped him and rather than hugging Hongjoong, it seemed like he was holding onto him like a lifeline now.

It was all too fast, all too sudden for Hongjoong to react. He tried to locate the enemy and find a way to get rid of him at the same time that he was stumbling over dead bodies in his desperate attempts to hold Seonghwa up. He was barely aware of Wooyoung and San to both of his sides, screaming scaredly over each other as they tried to keep the enemies off. Where did the enemies go? Seonghwa, he-

Blinking rapidly, Hongjoong tried to regain his senses and form a coherent thought. At least, his iron grip was still holding his falling lover up.

And then, at the third hit, Seonghwa collapsed.

A shocked yell escaped Hongjoong's lips as they stumbled backwards. They crashed onto the ground with some lifeless limbs catching their fall and their heads knocking roughly against each other. When Hongjoong's head ultimately connected with the floor, pain exploded behind his eyes.

Yet, he was still stubbornly holding onto Seonghwa.

Seonghwa, who was lying above him, breathing heavily.

When their eyes met, Hongjoong found the other man's eyes void of the odd shadow his umbra cast in them whenever they became one. It was just Seonghwa and his gentle expression.

The man managed a weak smile, the pained one that seemed so terribly in place for once. Hongjoong was nauseous with pain and fear. He felt as if he was going to faint any minute.

Then, Seonghwa's full lips parted as he managed to speak slowly.

"Not again," he breathed labouredly. "I won't lose you again."

With that, his arms that had been holding him up at both sides of Hongjoong's body gave up their duty, and he crashed down on Hongjoong's chest.

Numb, Hongjoong stared at the three arrows that stuck out of his back like spikes.

Then, he directed his eyes at the admiral up there.

And even from this distance, he could see him grinning right at Hongjoong victoriously.


	21. Sweet Revenge

Gritting his jaw, Hongjoong gently grabbed onto Seonghwa, careful not to jostle his body too much. Then, he slowly pushed him off, making sure he was lying securely on the ground. He turned the unconscious man's head to the side too so he would have no trouble breathing, and then got back onto his feet.

He knew which one he was going to kill next.

If he was being completely honest, he was quite impressed with the man. Not only had he managed to kill Hongjoong, but now he had also gotten Seonghwa.

However, him killing Hongjoong was something that had angered his crew far more than him. Yes, he would kill that man in revenge for the agitation he had put his team through, but he would not kill him just for his own sake. He was not worth that.

But now, he had hurt Seonghwa. Now, Hongjoong had no mercy anymore. The man deserved to suffer for that.

With two steps, Hongjoong was up at Wooyoung's side and ripping the pistol out of his belt. He lifted it, pointing right at the waiting man and shot.

He had meant to hit the head, but since his whole body ached and protested against that, the bullet missed slightly. Instead of making his head explode, it hit the man's shoulder, making him drop his bow before he could shoot down any other crew members.

Hongjoong watched, breathless and seething with rage as the man stumbled, but managed to hold himself up. Hongjoong had wanted him to fall down the balcony and onto their field so they could face each other equally, but that did not happen. Instead, the man tumbled back as he held his shoulder. His face was contorted in a twisted grin, as he once again surpassed Hongjoong.

With the hot anger boiling over, Hongjoong gripped his weapons hard enough that it hurt. He would go up there himself and murder that bastard. He wanted to spill his guts all over the floor, wanted to see him suffer. He wanted to laugh at him as the pain overtook his senses.

However, before he could meet any stupid decision that would include him ditching his crew, another person appeared on the balcony.

Hongjoong squinted at them while around them, the battle was still raging. Nobody was looking up, nobody saw what Hongjoong did.

It was Yonghwan. Even from this distance, Hongjoong could spot his overgrown hair that hung in his face. He was wearing an immaculate white uniform that got stained with blood as he hurried to aid the other man.

They spoke to each other, the bastard leaning heavily on Yonghwan. They took careful steps away from the wall, towards an entrance.

Hongjoong lifted his weapon again. He would not let the man get away like that.

However, before he could pull the trigger, Yonghwan turned his head to make eye-contact with Hongjoong over the shoulder of the hurt man.

And he gave a barely noticeable nod.

Frowning, Hongjoong hesitated to shoot, not really wanting to hit the respectable admiral in his fury. But when the unexpected happened, he was glad to not have touched the man.

Because Yonghwan suddenly pushed the other admiral over the railing.

Hongjoong's mouth dropped open as the man crashed onto the ground from a distance that either broke a few bones in his body or killed him instantly. Hongjoong could not spot him over the heads of the mostly taller soldiers, but that also did not matter.

Because Yonghwan smoothly ducked inside the building again, undetected. And Hongjoong found himself back surrounded by enemies.

He was just forcing his arm to lift once again and fight when a weird noise echoed in the distance. Confused, the men froze in their fightings, straining their ears. It was like a whistle as if something was closing in on them.

Confused, Hongjoong looked from his dumbfounded enemy over to San.

And San's eyes went wide when the epiphany hit him.

"Cannon fire!"

With that, he dropped to the ground, Hongjoong and the rest of the crew following right up in a procedure they were used to since ever. The soldiers were more confused and did not react in time.

So when the first missile hit the Headquarters behind them and punched a large hole in the building, many of them were hit by the stones that immediately tumbled down on them with lethal speed and size.

They were screaming and running, dispersing quickly as another two cannonballs followed the first one. More damage to the stone walls of the building made a constant rain of deadly rubble rain down on them.

Quickly, the surviving soldiers emptied out.

Hongjoong picked up his head from his arms when somebody shouted his name. He was covered in dust that made him cough, and his eyes tear up. But at least the fire had stopped, and the soldiers disappeared.

And there was Yunho, coming running from the damaged building with a few traces of blood running down his face but relatively fine. Over his shoulder, he was carrying something big that was wrapped in a blanket.

His smile was exuberant as he made his way over.

"This be our chance, come on! Let's 'urry!"

Immediately, Hongjoong was up on his feet. His crew got one quick count as he checked on them, then his heart was already racing for Seonghwa again.

The man had thankfully fallen far enough away from the rubble to have avoided the worst, but the arrows sticking from his back still made Hongjoong's heart clench nervously. He did not even dare approach the man out of fear to hurt him if he picked him up.

Thankfully, Jongho was more reliable than him.

He carefully put Seonghwa over his shoulder so the man could dangle lifelessly down his back as they set out running. Before they left that hellhole, Hongjoong made sure to collect Seonghwa's sword off the ground.

The way down to the docks felt like forever since every step hurt, but at the same time, Hongjoong could finally taste the sweet aroma of freedom again. It was mixed with the stench of blood and gun powder, but it was everything he wanted.

That, and the closer they got to shore, the more they finally heard the ocean again. It was raging happily in the distance, throwing its body against the cliffs with powerful waves. It was calling for them, inviting them to its endless freedom. They had spent too much time apart.

The boots of the pirates hit the wooden paths of the docks harshly as they ran over to where the Precious was hidden behind the facade of being a merchant ship. Yeosang was waiting for them and quickly waved them over while he was already yelling at the others to get the sails set and the anchor lifted.

Thundering steps scaled the plank, and then, they were home.

Hongjoong immediately collapsed, falling onto his knees with a yelp. He had not meant to do that, but his legs had suddenly given out and only now, he became aware of how insistently his head throbbed.

With a curse, he came back onto his wobbly legs and scaled the stairs to the helm with trouble. He had to pull himself up at the railing, but when he was finally behind his wheel, he could hold and lean onto it.

With a sharp shake of his protesting head, he tried to push the pain off.

Yunho was handing over whatever he had been carrying to the kids who carried it off with his orders. Mingi was behind Hongjoong and hastily motioned Jongho to bring Seonghwa over while Yunho fetched his medical bag.

Everybody was running and yelling, and it made Hongjoong's ears tingle. An elongated high peeping sound had taken over his right ear, making him slightly deaf to the world. For a second, his lashes fluttered as he threatened to pass out from another wave of nausea and agony.

But before he could fall, another body stepped up behind him and gripped the wheel. With that, Hongjoong was successfully caged in between two steady arms and could sink back against the person behind him.

"Stubborn captain."

Yeosang's voice barely reached his ears as Hongjoong's body sunk against his shoulder. He was still standing, still holding onto the wheel, but every pretence was useless. He completely fainted against Yeosang's shoulder anyway.

-

Hongjoong awoke to the gentle murmur of voices next to him. However, when he tried to turn his head to the source, a sharp zap of pain through his brain made him grit his teeth and stay as he was. Still, he opened his eyes to look over to Yunho and Seonghwa who were right next to him.

Yunho was in the middle of getting the arrows out of the man's back. Seonghwa was awake and talking with him, but he sounded a little dopey, probably drunk on either alcohol or pain killers.

"Aye, silk does that. It be actually such a jolly method, I 'ave to give that to every royal. Since it be so 'ard to rip, I can get these out more easily. If not, the 'ooks would 'ave ripped ye apart an' ye would probably bleed out. Or we would need to push them through the fore o' yer body an' risk 'ittin' somethin' vital."

Yunho reached for the last arrow and Hongjoong drowsily watched as he gave a warning before pulling gently. Seonghwa still gasped, his fingers fisting into the bedsheet next to Hongjoong's hand.

Worried, Hongjoong reached over to tenderly lock their hands. Immediately, a little appreciative noise tumbled over Seonghwa's lips. With Hongjoong's hand in his, he gritted his teeth until Yunho managed to extract the arrow. It was stuck to a dent of bloodied white silk that had bored a few centimetres into Seonghwa's body together with the shaft, but as it seemed, it had avoided the worst. There was a little hole at the tip, but most of the impact had been caught by the shirt, and the arrow had not gone too deep.

Hongjoong felt a heavy weight lift off his shoulders.

Seonghwa would be fine, he would survive.

"There ye go, all out. Ye did well. Thank ye fer stayin' so still fer me. 'ow be ye feeling, Cap'n?" For the first time that day, Yunh directed his warm eyes at Hongjoong. The captain just blinked at him.

"Me 'ead 'urts as if Jongho 'it it."

"That bad, 'uh?" With a little giggle, Yunho went to cut the shirt off Seonghwa's frame so he could patch up the wounds. It was a bloody mess, but Hongjoong still squeezed Seonghwa's hand reassuringly and got the same gesture back.

"Ye 'it it worse than we thought. When Yeosang told us ye not only fainted on 'im but also threw up, we grew worried. Stay down, ye probably damaged yer brain."

Grumbling, Hongjoong closed his eyes again. The light next to Yunho was a little too bright for him today.

"Be everybody alright? I didn't mean to just ditch ye like that."

"It be fine, Joongie. Ye got 'urt, it can 'appen to anybody. But aye, everybody be fine. Yeosang treated the other minor injuries that San, Wooyoung an' Jongho suffered earlier. They be gettin' some rest now. Yeosang an' Mingi 'ave the umbras an' the kids to 'elp outside. I will also go right aft when I be done 'ere. Everythin' be fine an' we 'ave a 'uge vantage to the navy. Also, we managed to get invisible in some fog. Today, luck be on our side." Yunho sounded happy about these factors, and Seonghwa had to chuckle at the man's optimism. Hongjoong could only agree.

Their thumbs slowly brushed over each other's knuckles.

"Thank ye. I'll make sure to be right aft an' look after the crew as soon as possible. Tell them that, please. We 'ave to check on them."

"Aye, aye. I will spend some time with Mingi while Wooyoung an' San be still glued to each other. But later, them two will also fall victim o' our 'appiness to 'ave them aft. No worries," he promised as mysteriously as he could manage before breaking out in laughter again. Hongjoong grinned without opening his eyes.

"Tell Yeosang 'e gets a raise next time we find booty. 'e be workin' 'ard."

"I will."

With that, they fell quiet for the rest of the treatment period. When Yunho was finally done, he stretched with a satisfied groan until his joints popped back into place. Seonghwa murmured a sleepy thanks at him that the man just waved off dismissively.

"Don't get wild yet. Both o' ye be nay in that condition."

Hongjoong opened his eyes when Yunho mercifully put out the fire in the lamp. In the diffuse light of the cloudy sky and fog outside, Hongjoong grinned at him.

"But ye an' Mingi be, 'uh?"

Yunho threw him a wink that was enough of an answer. They laughed for a moment while Yunho collected his things.

"Take a break, we 'ave it all covered — especially ye, Hongjoong. Be extra careful an' don't move yer 'ead too much. I've read that it can lead to lastin' damage."

"Aye, mom."

Seonghwa muffled his laughter in his pillows.

Yunho finally left with a last salute before they were alone. Hongjoong peacefully closed his eyes to take a nap, and Seonghwa, too, savoured the silence.

Not long after both had fallen asleep again. Finally, they could rest.


	22. A Complete Crew

When Hongjoong awoke the next time, he felt far more rested than before. His head still throbbed dully, but the worst pain had subsided for now. He suspected it would hrow in intensity again as the day commenced since work would keep him busy. Still, he opened his eyes with relative ease and felt ready to look after his crew today.

However, as soon as he looked around, a strong feeling of deja-vu overcame him.

The three of his crew members that had been missing were here, and they were impressively quiet in their presence.

The trio was seated in a circle on the ground next to the bed where Hongjoong had been sleeping until recently. A game of dices was prepared in their middle and they even rolled on a piece of cloth to avoid most noises. Their murmurs were low and civil, no screeching and sarcastic discussions going on.

Hongjoong grew soft as he saw them like this, seeing how much they had missed him and were obviously waiting for him to wake up.

Still sleepy, he felt over the bed to check if Seonghwa was still there. However, safe for Hongjoong the spread was empty. And Seonghwa, being the caretaker that he was, had even made sure to smooth out the pillows and sheets on his side. Hongjoong rolled his eyes with a soft smile.

As he shifted to push the blanket off him the boys immediately perked up. Wooyoung just seemed to be ready to yell a happy welcome when San subtly slid his hand over the side of the man's neck. Wooyoung wisely stayed quiet at that, just squirming in the other man's hold. San took a moment to stare intensely at the profile of the giggling man, then he concentrated on Hongjoong again.

"Ahoy, me hearties." Hongjoong greeted them with a smile and a voice that was quiet enough that they would know not to overreact. Instead, they quietly crawled closer and searched for various spots in the bed to settle in. San was sitting at Hongjoong's legs and feeling them up with nimble fingers that tended to slide just a bit too far under the blanket that was bunched around Hongjoong's hips.

"Captain." Wooyoung was pouting cutely as he whined an elongated version of the word. His lips were pulling in a bright grin when Hongjoong looked at him. The little birthmark he had on his lower lip looked very poke-able.

"About time ye woke up." Mingi was frowning at Hongjoong while he shifted enough that his mostly unbuttoned shirt allowed a peek at the tanned planes of his mostly unscarred chest. As usual, his voice was as deep as a canyon, but Hongjoong still had no trouble detecting the worry in it.

"I tried sleepin' fast." He gave them a smile as he sorted his pillows behind him, so he could sit back against them. He tried not to move his head too fast as he slowly leaned against the pile, so he could look at his crew better.

"Welcome 'ome, mateys. Ye did well gettin' through all o' that," he whispered softly and immediately, San's hand stilled on his leg. A heavy silence spread between them all smiles forgotten.

Wooyoung gulped.

San's eyes were hard when they met Hongjoong's. He had closed off, obviously trying to be the strong one. However, Hongjoong could read him like an open book. San was just holding back tears.

"Ye too... Thanks fer comin' aft, Capt'n. Sittin' in there an' knowin' ye been gone... It might 'ave been easier on us than the rest o' the crew who actually noticed ye missin', but them soldiers- they liked mentionin' it." San grit his jaw, his bones jutting out sharply as he averted his face. He was obviously fighting with his anger, so Hongjoong gave him a moment until the crease between his brows had smoothened out again.

"I be sorry it took so long. I be sure we would 'ave been faster if me death wouldn't 'ave slowed down the crew."

Mingi hurriedly shook his head.

"Nay, 'avin' ye there been worth it all. We waited fer death all this time, but since ye was the one, who got us out all that stress doesn't matter anymore." His voice still carried on strong and relayed the emotions the other two were not able to articulate. Wooyoung had interwoven his shaking fingers with San's by now, and they were just holding onto each other while Wooyoung bit his lip to keep himself from crying.

Hongjoong gently looked at them. He was endlessly glad to have them back and see them alive. The news of them having been captured had made his stomach churn at first. He had expected them to be dead after a week, but here they were.

"Do ye know why ye was kept alive fer that long?"

Hongjoong opened his arms when the tears in Wooyoung's eyes threatened to spill over. Immediately, the man scrambled into Hongjoong's arms and cuddled up to his chest. Hongjoong mindlessly caressed his back while he continued the conversation with Mingi. San, too, put his head down on one of Hongjoong's thighs to rest and just feel him so close.

"It been that admiral. The one that ye've met before, the one we met at the beach when Hwa joined."

Hongjoong pricked his ears. His fingers slid over the ridges of Wooyoung's spine.

"Yonghwan?"

"Aye. It been 'is idea to keep us there in 'opes o' lurin' the rest o' the crew in. But the court been fightin' aft since they assumed nobody to come after yer death. So it been a tense situation every day an' we waited fer it to escalate at any time." Mingi leaned against San's body, pushing his hair back tiredly. He looked as if he had not gotten much rest, and his collarbones were dotted with bite marks.

Yet, his words sparked doubt in Hongjoong.

Was there a connection? Did Yongguk maybe tell Yonghwan to keep them alive? Or did he have ulterior motives? He was not entirely on their side, so why would he help them in this way? And then also pushing the admiral. Hongjoong would love some answers.

"In the end, 'is stunt kinda 'elped to keep ye alive. We should remember that fer the next time we meet 'im."

And also him pushing his colleague. Apparently, nobody except for Hongjoong had seen the rather treacherous act, but it made him all the more suspicious about it. Yonghwan did not seem like the person to risk his job for a bunch of pirates. Rather, he had promised to hunt Hongjoong, too.

"Were ye alright? Ye didn't eat enough, right?" Hongjoong wrapped his arm around Wooyoung to feel up his ribs that were slightly protruding from his skin. It was not too horrible, but it was more than usual. Hongjoong hated it.

"We been just down there all the time. Yunho fed us well an' we spent a day outside to replenish them energies. San been the one who left often." Mingi playfully slapped the other man's thigh with his hand, making San giggle quietly.

The three of them were calm by now, the tense moment had passed and Wooyoung was also calming down with quiet sniffles over time.

"What been ye doin', Sannie?"

San blinked innocently at Hongjoong. His dimples that Hongjoong had missed so much made their grand appearance. Idly, Mingi poked at them.

"They let me fight. They 'ad their prisoners battle animals or each other fer entertainment purposes. An' if I won I could get grub an' stuff. Oftentimes I managed to charm the ladies in the crowd enough that I would get them to brin' them two babies some treats, too." He patted both of his mates gently. Wooyoung clung to Hongjoong tighter, giving a general idea of how he had felt about that. Cooing, Hongjoong nuzzled into his overgrown black hair to assure him that it was fine.

"Be ye alright? Do ye all feel alright? If there be anythin' remainin'... Even if there been no torture, bein' locked up does things to people's minds. Especially ye two. I want ye to not search strength in each other's arms these days. Make sure to spend time outside o' that, please. I don't want any o' ye slippin' into bad 'abits."Hongjoong could not help but think about how he had found Seonghwa once again. The beautiful body of his lover held by the man he despised most on the world.

"We be fine. We will take care o' each other an' the crew be also way too 'appy to 'ave us aft to even consider lettin' our minds turn to dark places." Mingi's smile was a special one, one that was far softer than his usual confident smirk. It was a smile that was reserved to Yunho and Yunho only and seeing it convinced Hongjoong that the world was not as bad as it treated them recently. He pretended to not have seen it and also did not mention it further as to not ruin their sweet little flirt they had going on ever since they had dropped off Seonghwa for the two years they had spent apart.

"Good. Also, eat a lot, please, an' remember to come to speak with me if there be e'er somethin' botherin' ye. Not as if I can do much these days... Why the 'eck be Seonghwa allowed to walk around already?" Hongjoong tried not to pout too hard, but the little giggle that Wooyoung gave when he leaned back outed him.

"Shall I get the doc? I be sure it be fine fer ye to walk since Hwa be also out an' about."

Hongjoong gave a sulky affirmation and immediately, Mingi instead of San, who had asked, jumped to his feet. At their puzzled faces, he just motioned over his shoulder while his eye tried to avoid them.

"I be way better at gettin' 'im."

Hongjoong's smirk turned knowing when San abruptly sat up, feeling challenged.

"What? why in the seven seas would ye be better at that? I can show ye 'ow jolly I be at takin' Yunho!" With those words, he jumped to his feet and began brusquely marching towards the exit. Mingi also did, and they tried to push and hold each other back on the way. With their arms twisted into each other they left while still squabbling and yelling at each other.

Hongjoong and Wooyoung sighed at the same time. Then, they looked at each other conspiratorially and laughed.

"Ye two be still doin' well?"

At that, Wooyoung blushed and shyly looked down at his lap. He tried to hold back his grin, but his lips stretched involuntarily anyway. Cooing, Hongjoong grabbed his hands, so they could hold onto each other. Wooyoung was comfortably sitting on his thighs, his own legs spread to accommodate Hongjoong in between.

"Aww, this here face be adorable. Seems like ye really finally worked it out, 'm? I would be very 'appy to see ye two truly find each other after all them years. It took ye a long time." He gently waved their hands around, making sweet Wooyoung all the shyer.

"He... 'e did take very jolly care o' us. An' it been ne'er a struggle again. Yesterday, too, I think we really can finally move on." He seemed to be relieved to be saying that after many years of mutual hatred. Hongjoong felt the same warmth take over his own heart when the biggest issue on the ship was finally solved.

"I be glad, then. Take care, 'm? An' don't be too loud at night, we be able to 'ear everythin'. Yer 'ate-fuckin' been pretty loud already, 'ow will sweet love-makin' with San be?" Hongjoong continued teasing the other man, who merely weakly swatted at his chest with one bandaged wrist. He was far more embarrassed than Hongjoong was used to from him, especially regarding their already pretty intimate relationship with each other.

"Shut up... I be sure ye an' Hwa still 'ave lots to catch up with too, right? Not as if ye be in any place to complain. 'e makes ye sing, Cap'n."

Wooyoung suffered through a tickle attack since Hongjoong's hands were still very much in use. While he had the man shrieking and squirming in his lap, Yunho came in after a knock, also. He had his bag already with him and was donning a big smile as he saw them.

"Ye little-"

In the end, Wooyoung hastily jumped off Hongjoong and ran away giggling.

"We be still plannin' fer a fun feast later! Make sure to come! But not on 'is face, it be a pain to clean!" He stuck out his tongue at Hongjoong childishly before fleeing as Hongjoong was already reaching for the boot closest to him. The door fell shut behind him loudly.

Yunho just laughed as he sat down next to the stressed captain.

"Don't elevate yer blood pressure, old man."

"Not ye too."

With a groan, Hongjoong dropped back against his pillows.


	23. Special Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of smut towards the end, nobody gets naked but be aware of sexiness

"There, all done." With a gentle pat on the thick bandage around Hongjoong's thigh that Yunho had just renewed, the man stood. Hongjoong watched him rise with a wry smirk on his lips.

"So, ye expect me to walk now?"

Yunho shouldered his bag with a little wink in Hongjoong's direction that had the captain giggle to himself.

"Can't get yer 'usband to carry ye either, 'uh?"

Hongjoong dramatically pressed his hand to his chest. His doctor chuckled at him disbelievingly.

"I know ye can't relate, but I be goin' to go ahead an' tell ye that 'earin' that yer 'usband be literally a ship length maximum away from ye be such a wonderful thin'."

Yunho sighed and threw his bag behind his back.

"Ye be whipped, Cap'n. Which be kind o' the opposite o' what should 'ave 'appened. Aren't ye the person whippin' others?" He swooped down to collect the comparably tiny body of the pirate off the bed and hold him in his arms. Hongjoong eagerly wrapped his arms and legs around the large frame of his mate and snuggled up against his shoulder contently. Sometimes, he liked to become small in the protective arms of his tallest crew member and have his moment of not worrying about anything since Yunho was there to hold him.

"I call it bein' wrapped around 'is fingers. Seonghwa 'as gorgeous fingers, Yunho." He whispered the last part against the man's ear with a devious giggle, knowing exactly that it would make the man grimace.

"There been a time when ye said the same thing about me." Yunho carelessly threw a coat over Hongjoong's shoulder as he stepped out into the coldness of the day. The sky was crystal clear today, and the sun was nearly setting by this time. Yunho had told him that he had slept for almost four days and explained that it had been due to the hit to his brain. After all this time, it was natural that Hongjoong was so motivated to get back into their daily life.

He was also totally fine to walk by now, but as if Hongjoong would miss out on even a second of having Yunho coddle him.

"Aw, don't pout, ye still do! Maybe I'll have Seonghwa writhe on them somewhen so 'e can agree, also." Hongjoong prepared to tuck his face into Yunho's neck again to share warmth. However, as they stepped out on the deck, Hongjoong found it had undergone some changes.

In his absence, the crew had slightly remodelled the ship, and Hongjoong had yet to find out the meaning of this. They had used a remaining sheet they used for sails for what looked like some sort of canopy they had put up on wooden sticks, so it created an open cave over the front of the ship. It was bound to the railing so it would stay in place, and inside was a spacious part of the empty deck that was lightened up by multiple lanterns. They probably created a cosy warmth inside that Wooyoung was already using to slack off. 

The young man was spread out on the deck like a starfish and basking in the little dome of light and warmth. San was for once not in sight to stick to the man, and Hongjoong suspiciously scanned the area for the troublemaker. As if they could spend five minutes apart, he highly doubted that.

"Searchin' fer yer 'usband?" Yunho made sure to put special emphasis on the last word to keep the teasing going. Immediately distracted, Hongjoong now searched the deck for said husband, finding him at the railing at last.

Slowly, Hongjoong kicked his legs so Yunho would let him go and stood on wobbly legs after he was set down. He had not walked much the past few days and thus needed a second to get used to the sway of the sea again. When he was back on the course, he jumped away from a sighing Yunho cheerfully to go pay a visit to his _husband_.

As he got closer, he noticed that Seonghwa was very much alone, contrary to him usually attracting any crew member nearby so they could tease and poke fun at him if they were not thirsting all day long. Also, he heard Seonghwa singing as he arrived in his little secluded corner. He tried sneaking closer as quiet as possible to not startle the man and listen to the song's sad melody that he was now accustomed to hearing.

_"Let's sin' the song o' the seven seas_

_Avast, ye, an' listen now, there be much to say_

_O' waves an' treasure an' stormy days_

_O' mates an' ships an' cannon fire_

_Avast, ye, an' listen now, there be much to say_

_A gentle smile_

_Silk against skin_

_Blood stainin' white_

_Davy Jones be a lucky man."_

Seonghwa abruptly cut off when he finally noticed Hongjoong. Quick, he tried giving a smile, but it looked weak and as if made of wax on his face. Hongjoong slid his arm around the man's hip as he stepped in, gently caressing his waist.

"That song, what be it?" He tried not to come off as too reprimanding, knowing how the other lines went. Seonghwa did not know that, after all.

Seonghwa did not take his eyes off Hongjoong, looking at him steadily.

"Somethin' I came up with. It be nothin' much, just a mess o' verses. But the crew started singin' it anyway."

"It be sad."

Seonghwa gave a chuckle, the hint of a real smile appearing on his lips. Hongjoong patiently leaned into his side, careful not to touch any remaining wounds on his back. The arrows had not gone deep and were further stopped by the silk Seonghwa had worn. In theory, the man should be fine within a few weeks, but now was still the time to be careful.

"It be. It begins when me 'usband died."

With a hum, Hongjoong looked out over the calm sea that was glowing red and orange in the light of the setting sun.

"I came aft, though. So 'ow about addin' a few 'appy lines? It can be about overcomin' that pain instead. If I play jolly tunes on the piano, an' Yeosang gets 'is violin out, we might actually be able to turn it into a gentleman o' fortune 'ymn."

Seonghwa leaned in to press a gentle kiss against Hongjoong's jaw, seeking closeness.

"What do ye recommend?"

Hongjoong thought about it for a moment, his eyes losing himself at the sight of the hypnotic waves.

_"Now don't 'ang the jib_

_The sea be endless_

_So batten down the 'atches_

_An' prepare to sail_

_Let's sin' the song o' the seven seas_

_Avast, ye, an' listen now, there be much to say."_

Hongjoong nodded, satisfied. Seonghwa, too, gave an approving noise.

"Sounds very savage. Maybe we can include it."

Hongjoong turned to look at him with a scoff and a teasing smirk.

"Oh, I would be elated, great Marquis. Do you want a cup of coffee with that?"

Seonghwa bumped their heads together with a giggle before straightening again. Yeosang had interrupted, and Hongjoong had once again been too focused on Seonghwa to notice the man approaching.

"Come on, we're ready. I'll position Hongjoong." He said it innocently but with a little amount of just too much humor in it to not be on purpose. Hongjoong found the hidden jokes of his navigator hilarious.

At that, Seonghwa nodded and stepped away to prepare for whatever while Hongjoong remained with Yeosang. The man then silently took his arm and led him over to their fun little tent. By now, there was a chair that stood in the kind of warm and cuddly middle of it, and the rest of the crew had collected like a crowd. They were passing food and drinks between them with boisterous laughter. Was it the set-up for a play? Hongjoong was not sure if he was up for that.

However, Yeosang just pressed him down on the chair gently and then walked away to sit down in the crowd, too. Still no San in sight. 

Confused, Hongjoong took his coat off since the sail was really keeping the heat inside. What did they need it for? And what were they waiting for?

When he directed these questions at the crew, he only got secretive giggles and whispers, no clear answer. So Hongjoong just waited. Shortly after, San emerged from the darkness of the ship, and excitedly found his place. He then shushed their cheers with exaggerated gestures before speaking up pretentiously.

"Captain, ye be in luck. Tonight, Seonghwa decided to give ye an extraordinary present that ye should treasure fore'er. It be in celebration o' us reunitin' again. Applause, gentlemen."

At his prompt, they all clapped euphorically, everybody shifting to get comfortable and staring at the poor confused captain as if he was a piece of meat.

And only then, Seonghwa appeared.

He stepped into the circle of light from the dark spots behind it, and Hongjoong's breath was immediately gone.

Seonghwa looked, simply put, ravishing. 

He was wearing a white shirt that ended shortly above his bellybutton for some reason, and that had short sleeves. Yet, he was wearing tight leather bands around his upper arms to showcase their girth and black gauntlets that made his arms seem impossibly long and slender at the same time. His black pants were reasonably regular, but he was donning the very belt that his umbra had worn, and also that little fake piercing in his bellybutton.

Hongjoong's mouth ran dry when the man came closer slowly, his dark eyes set on Hongjoong. As he approached, Hongjoong could not help himself but grab at that belt and pull him closer by the metal rings on it that seemed to be made for this purpose. 

Seonghwa chuckled, endeared, but pushed his hands off.

"No touching."

Hongjoong blinked at his husky voice, his eyes wide like a doe's.

And then, Seonghwa moved.

It was nothing too dramatic at first, and it was also clear that his stance was still restricted because of his injuries, but it was no less lethal. He gently trailed the fingers of his left hand up the length of his right arm, feeling up fabric and skin as he went. Hongjoong's eyes followed the line he pulled intensely, his hands laying patiently on his thighs by now.

Seonghwa's fingers gently caught onto his sleeve, exposing just a little more skin before he let go and trailed it over his collarbone. His head tipped back slightly, and his lips parted, but he was still watching Hongjoong, not letting go.

Hongjoong tensed when Seonghwa's fingers caught onto his collar and pulled it aside dangerously. However, again he stopped before Hongjoong saw much more. Disappointed, Hongjoong pouted a bit.

This time, Seonghwa trailed his fingers down his chest. He used his flat palm to map out his body and followed every curve that Hongjoong's body arched to feel against his. Forgetting everything that was not Seonghwa, Hongjoong gripped his pants to keep still, his feet shuffling restlessly.

Seonghwa reached the stripe of skin his shirt showed, and then his fingers dipped lower. As he stilled right above his pants, Hongjoong lifted curious eyes to look at Seonghwa's face. The man was biting his lip sensually, staring at Hongjoong until the heat in his veins fired up. He wanted Seonghwa.

Then, Seonghwa tipped his fingertips in, just barely, making Hongjoong's breath hitch as his eyes flickered down.

But he pulled back.

Hongjoong groaned audibly at the teasing. He felt himself getting hard thinking about pushing Seonghwa down in this outfit already. He would look gorgeous writhing in it.

Seonghwa trailed his fingers up his abdomen again, this time taking his shirt with him. With every torturously slow movement, he showed more of his muscles, scars, and tattoos, that gorgeous body that Hongjoong worshipped at any given time. Then, his fingers suddenly caught on a dark and dusty nipple, and a breathy moan tumbled out of Seonghwa's lips. 

Hongjoong bit his cheek to stay quiet, his arousal throbbing in his pants. 

Seonghwa stayed like this, his neck bared like some seductive goddess as his finger slowly brushed over the sensitive spot. Meanwhile, his other hand dipped down to his crotch and lazily traced the outline of his hardness in his pants.

Hongjoong did not even know where to look.

In the end, he settled for Seonghwa's crotch, but only until the man spoke up again.

"You can touch now." He breathed airily. Before Hongjoong could move, though, he continued.

"But only yourself."

Hongjoong lifted his eyes to glare at him protestingly. Seonghwa just smirked, further playing with his own body.

Determined, Hongjoong leant back and spread his legs further apart.

Two could play this game.


	24. Presents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le smut
> 
> For Smut Skippers (the rest go read now): Basically, the only important thing in this chapter is Hwa telling Joong that Yunho brought a present for him that is wearing a white uniform and is waiting for him in the bilge  
> Happy voting, guys!

Hongjoong was slightly slumped on his chair so he could spread his legs apart better. He had pulled his aching arousal from his pants and was lazily stroking it while he watched Seonghwa. However, despite his hand helping him out, he did not have what he needed right now. Despite him being right in front of him, he felt way too inaccessible.

Frustrated, Hongjoong let his head roll back as his fingers teasingly slipped over his tip, never doing enough to push him towards his orgasm.

Seonghwa was still watching him, panting airily as he felt up his body. He whined whenever he applied pressure to his sensitive spots, but denied himself the feeling of having Hongjoong wrap him in his arms. The air was warm between them and not reminiscent of the cold night outside the canvas anymore. It felt like any sunny day that had Hongjoong heated up and impatiently loosening the ties on his shirt so he would not overheat.

Seonghwa flicked his tongue out to lips over his plush lips maddeningly, and Hongjoong cursed him for his resilience. It was then, however, that Seonghwa finally decided to slip open the first button on the shirt he was wearing. He slowly exposed more of his build chest as he slowly stepped between Hongjoong's spread legs. Tirelessly, his fingers trailed over his tanned skin, tracing all ridges and valleys he found.

They were so close, yet their bodies touched nowhere. Hongjoong wanted to pull him closer so bad, but he would respect Seonghwa's rules. He could not deny the sexiness of the situation anyway.

Seonghwa took his time before he finally pushed the shirt off. At that, a murmur came up in the crowd, but they held their roars back to not ruin the moment.

Hongjoong stared at Seonghwa darkly. His hungry eyes followed the movement of Seonghwa's dainty hands as they travelled down his abdomen. Again, they settled around his hips, his fingertips hooping into the metal rings playfully.

Breathing deeply, Hongjoong tightened his hand to mimic the feeling of Seonghwa's hot body around him.

"You desperate?"

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at Seonghwa when his scratchy voice reached his ears. After that last stunt that Seonghwa pulled on him, Hongjoong had little patience for the man's raspy and dominant voice games. This time, Seonghwa would writhe again.

"Be ye nay? from 'ow this looks ye be the one 'oldin' aft more. Ye know if standin' gets too much there be a seat fer ye right 'ere. I kept it warm." Hongjoong patted his thigh with his free hand while the other continued moving actively.

Seonghwa's eyes dropped, clearly interested, and again, he licked his lips.

Then, he finally dipped his fingers in his pants, loosening the cords holding them closed with his other hand. When the fabric started slipping, he pushed it down impatiently, so it would pool around his feet but kept the belt around his hips.

He looked gorgeous as he kicked his pants off and stood in front of Hongjoong without shame. The captain was elated to see another one of those simple leather bands wrapping around the man's left thigh snugly.

A little moan tumbled out of Hongjoong's mouth when he watched Seonghwa wrap his pretty fingers around his pale pink length. The tip had the same colour as his lips. With those gauntlets that connected between his thumb and pointer finger, a piece of fabric would always be brushing against his smooth skin, and the thought slightly maddened Hongjoong.

"I might consider claiming it. It does look quite comfortable."

Hongjoong demonstratively bucked up into his hand to show Seonghwa what he was missing out on. Seonghwa visibly weakened at the sight of the angry red tip appearing between Hongjoong's little fingers.

"Will you help me?" Seonghwa innocently blinked at Hongjoong while his fingers stilled again, just staying loosely wrapped around his length. Hongjoong challengingly looked up at him.

"Ye give me permission to touch?"

"Aye." Seonghwa could barely nod to underline the word when Hongjoong was already grabbing him by the belt. He yanked the man closer roughly enough to send him stumbling into his lap with little grace. Before he could complain, Hongjoong dipped down to kiss him hotly.

A whine slipped from Seonghwa when Hongjoong impatiently bit and sucked at the man's already swollen lips. The heat and tension that had built up between them roughly came crashing down on them when Seonghwa desperately leaned into him.  
After the first surprise, Seonghwa quickly managed to get back on track. He planted both of his feet firmly on the ground and slipped his hands in Hongjoong's hair, so he could direct their kiss. Their warm bodies aligned to press insistently against each other.

Hongjoong kept one hand on the belt to control Seonghwa's dirty grinding against Hongjoong's crotch. The other one, however, slipped down over the back of the man, quickly checking his injuries. When he found them all fine, he smoothly reached lower and to the place he wanted to be in.

As he brushed the man's entrance, he found it already prepared and filled by one of their toys, as usual, when they played. However, the base of this one felt different. It was more ridged and seemed to have some sort of distinctive shape. It was none that Hongjoong was aware of possessing.

Hongjoong pulled at Seonghwa until they had to free their wetly gliding tongues from each other. He basically threw the chest of the man over his shoulder until he heard him panting irregularly at his ear while he lifted his hips in the air to spread him further open.

Heatedly, Hongjoong made eye-contact with Yeosang, who was squirming in Jongho's lap. He was still fully dressed, unlike San, and had the carpenter's hand down his pants. Embarrassed by the situation, he had hidden part of his flushed face behind his hands, but he was consistently staring at the scene in front anyway.

Without looking away, Hongjoong gently pulled on the object until it slipped free a bit before pushing it back in again. Seonghwa weakly held onto his shoulders, all dominance was forgotten as Hongjoong played with him. With Seonghwa on his shoulder, the captain called out.

"What do ye spy, Yeosang?"

Yeosang cringed away humiliated, but at the same time gave a light thrust into Jongho's hand. Hongjoong smirked at them.

"Hwa... With a toy inside."

Humming, Hongjoong continued fucking his husband with it. He had become putty by now and was merely waiting with impatient whines. Oh, how the tables had turned.

"What does it look like? Describe it fer me, 'm?"

Yeosang whined as he hid his face in Jongho's shoulder. With a mere kiss to his forehead, Jongho continued to watch intensely.

"It's black. Also has a rose at the bottom. It - uh - it stretches him prettily." Yeosang gasped as Jongho rewarded him with a sharp flick of his wrist. He had slowed down during the conversation.

"Good boy."

Yeosang shuddered in his boyfriend's hold, and Hongjoong smirked before focusing on Seonghwa again. This time, he pulled the object out completely and carelessly dropped it on the ground next to them. Afterwards, he maneuvred the other man back into position.

Seonghwa was sweaty, and some of his hair stuck to his forehead as he faced Hongjoong again. He was also biting his lip coyly as if pretending he was innocent. Hongjoong took in his expression while he slowly spread the oil that dripped out of Seonghwa's entrance around it.

"Be ye done playin' yet?"

"The night only just began." Seonghwa's smirk was casual, but he still eagerly moved with Hongjoong's guidance as he lined them up. With Seonghwa's dainty hands on his shoulders, Hongjoong finally sunk the man down on his hardness. Again, he used the belt but did not take his eyes off Seonghwa's face either. His mouth dropped open with every centimetre that filled him, and his brows furrowed prettily over his lashes that had fluttered shut to cherish the sensation.

When he was finally seated, Hongjoong arranged their legs so that both of them had a comfortable stance. Then, when Seonghwa opened his pretty eyes again, Hongjoong began rolling his hips up into the man.

Little gasps tumbled out of Seonghwa's lips as he met the movements smoothly while he still held onto Hongjoong. It was nearly too warm in the cave now, and their soft moans were accompanied by Wooyoung's far louder and breathier noises. When Hongjoong glanced over once, he saw that San had merged with his shadow, and he had bent Wooyoung over his knee to let shadowy fingers that were elongated and formed like tentacles play in his boyfriend.

He did not even want to know the details of that.

Instead, he concentrated on his own pretty prize that was willing and soft in his lap with his face contorted in pleasure. Seonghwa mostly set the pace, but Hongjoong sometimes roughened things up to make the man arch and pant.

He was also still pulling on that belt, wondering what else it could do.

Seonghwa's little whines and whimpers were music to Hongjoong's ears, especially as he leaned forward to hungrily lick and suck on the man's neck. He peppered marks that would still be visible later over the length of his collarbone and watched them bloom red and purple after he was done. Proud of himself, he hooked his chin over Seonghwa's shoulder to press him down just a bit more while he powerfully thrust up into the man.

Idly, he watched his crew. His fingers dug into Seonghwa's hips as he sometimes pushed him down mercilessly, burying deep inside until the man trashed in his hold.

"Yunho be watchin' ye very intently. Ye must 'ave appealed to 'im in them four months because 'e looks ready to sink that there 'uge thing o' 'is right into ye. Consider yerself lucky 'e 'as Mingi's 'ead in 'is lap instead. Yunho loves double penetration an' that might still be a bit much fer ye."

He said it dirtily into Seonghwa's ear, not skimming around the words that had Seonghwa whine weakly in his hold.

"Oh, I would love to see ye with Mingi, too. 'e be submissive, but ye would do so jolly ridin' 'im. I would 'ave to fuck ye loose before 'e can enter an' 'e would leave such a mess when 'e's finished."

Seonghwa's trembling fingers reached for his arousal, roughly jerking it. Hongjoong felt himself approaching his orgasm fast, too, but he held back so he could fuck Seonghwa through his.

"Yeosang be too shy fer these things. Jongho been 'im writhin' an' whinin' an' 'e loves it, but 'e be still tryin' to 'ide. I ne'er told ye 'e blushes down to 'is chest when 'e comes, right?"

Seonghwa dropped his head against Hongjoong's shoulder with a broken whine. Hongjoong let him, for now.

"And Woosan... Them two be wild again. San be tentacle fuckin' 'im at the moment. Did ye e'er try them? 'e seems to be jolly at it, maybe we can ask 'im somewhen to put them on ye. Also, ye remember 'is piercings, right? Imagine them inside o' ye." Hongjoong roughly punctuated his sentence with a thrust against the man's sensitive nerves. The sudden change of angle made Seonghwa yell out a warning before he came unexpectedly.

Hongjoong reacted fast. He grabbed the man's thick hair to see his face contort in pleasure right when his orgasm crashed into him. He looked gorgeous, with his eyes rolling back in his skull and his plush lips dropping open. Lips that Hongjoong would need around his dick later this night, too.

Seonghwa also always furrowed his brow and arched his back when this happened, so at the moment, he was taut like a bowstring as Hongjoong placed the last thrusts in him. Right when Seonghwa's lids fluttered again, he buried himself inside deep to hold Seonghwa as close as possible.

Seonghwa gave a few little whines at the overstimulation, but he did not complain. Instead, he held onto Hongjoong with white-stained gloves until it was over.

They needed a moment to catch their breaths after that, sometimes sharing stupid giggly kisses. By the time they had calmed down, Wooyoung had also fallen quiet.

After a moment, Seonghwa straightened a bit to pull back from another kiss. His smirk was sensual again.

"By the way, I know that we be busy fer a while, but I 'm supposed to tell ye that Yunho also brought a present fer ye. It be down in the bilge an' wearin' a pretty white uniform. Also, it can barely wait to finally see ye."

With a wicked smile, Hongjoong yanked Seonghwa closer by his neck.

"I'll look forward to it, but fer now me 'ole attention be on ye, sugar." Then, he dipped his tongue in the man's mouth once again.


	25. Game of Murder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Explicit blood and gore in this chapter. This is a torture scene that is important for the plot, but I shall put a short summary in the notes at the end. Read at your own risk, please.
> 
> Also, I'm doing a poll on my Twitter @Susimau_s right now, in case anybody wants to vote for my upcoming one shots! (My Twitter is only story info, don't be shy to check in there)

With a squelching sound, the last fingernail of the man disconnected from his hand. Satisfied, Hongjoong pulled it off and let it drop on the floor. With a quick glance at the man's bloodied and mutilated fingers, Hongjoong let the tweezers sink. The bloodied metal came to rest on his thigh naturally as Hongjoong sat back down on the bloodied ground comfortably. He did not mind the mess, having also opted for wearing black clothes that were easier to wash when he had willingly brought himself in this situation.

Calmly, he stared at the heaving man in front of him. He did not throw up this time, which was optimal. His stomach had to be empty by now, and the stench of rotting water nearly did not manage to overpower the lingering smell of bile in the air.

"Again, I apologise for having made you wait. I had not known of you gracing us with your presence until yesterday, admiral." Hongjoong smirked wryly as he made sure to put his feet up on the man's broken legs. A hoarse groan of agony sounded from the other. He was strapped to his chair securely, but even without his bindings, an escape would have been impossible.

"Lies... All lies. You, and Yonghwan... And everybody."

"I beg to differ. I am not of the same kind as some navy scum. We are men with class here." Hongjoong lazily lifted his left leg and grabbed onto his current weapon again. He used the heavy tweezers to swing them down on the man's knee and smashed it to pieces just how the other one was from his fall. When the man's throaty stream had died down, Hongjoong let his boot drop again and listened to another round of pain.

"But I have to say I'm curious. Did Yonghwan mention to you with even one word why he would do such a despicable yet wonderful thing? I may even need to send him a gift now." Hongjoong handed the tweezers to Yunho so he could put them away in his bucket away to clean later. These might be torture instruments, but they were also their medical utensils.

The admiral spitefully stared at Hongjoong from underneath his grimy hair. Blood was covering his lips where Hongjoong had brutally ripped a tooth from his mouth earlier and whenever he spoke spittle and more red drops sprayed from the hole his upper incisor had left.

Hongjoong considered shaving him. He did not look like a great admiral anymore with that stubble of greying hair shadowing his pale cheeks.

"It's admiral to you, rat! Even as a traitor, he has a higher rank than you! At least until they behead him!"

For being as hurt as the man was at the moment, he was still spilling a lot of nonsense. Hongjoong had to respect his stubbornness.

"Oh, but they won't do that, won't they? There is nobody there to tell the tale. Us two, we were the ones who saw it. And from how it seems, at least one of us will be dead by the time the sun rises. The survivor has little motivation to expose a secret helper." Yunho brought the bucket over when Hongjoong motioned him to, so he could shift and sort through it. When he found what he needed, he pulled it out and focused back on the man. Yunho respectfully stepped away.

"You should be dead! I saw you die, I killed you! What kind of twisted witchcraft are you scum using to make your deals with the devil?! May he devour your soul and make you suffer eternally in hell!"

Hongjoong grimaced when bloody globs hit him at the man's explosion. Calmly, he took down his boots. For a second, he just stared up at the man in wonder. There was so much hatred that fueled him that it became downright impressive. Mindlessly, Hongjoong played with the knife in his fingers and scratched out the dirt under his fingernails using the tip.

"You were very successful if that alleviates you. But you know, the devil sent me back to bring you instead. He decided that I was by far not as vile as your sick soul." Hongjoong smiled at him angelically. Yunho gave a few mocking claps.

A rough laugh tumbled out of the man's mouth. Hongjoong delighted in the pain that fogged the man's teary eyes. So far, he had stubbornly refused to cry. Hongjoong wondered if he would need to take a break from his plans and break his mind first before he resumed with his torture.

"Says you. The little pirate rat."

With a cheerful grin, Hongjoong sprung to his feet and stood above the man. For a second, he just grinned down at him, then he brutally rammed his knife between the man's ribs.

The man choked on the blood in his throat as he tried to cough and scream, while Hongjoong only looked down on him with madness glimmering in his eyes.

Oh, how he wished this was Seonghwa's umbra right now, instead of the admiral. That would be so much more fun than this thick-headed moron.

"I'm a king. Nobody ever called you a king, did they, now? Yet, you keep mentioning rats. I just had a wonderful idea. Yunho, sweetie, could you get me some rats?"

Slightly bewildered, Yunho blinked at him, but then he nodded. He put the bucket down on the floor of the cell that was covered with a thin layer of water mixed with blood before stepping out. He said something to one of the kids, who was sitting on the stairs and keeping people from coming down here. Then, they began searching through their ship for the little devils.

Grinning, Hongjoong focused back on his guest.

"You are perverse... Having this kind of relationship with your slaves-" He spat out a slimy ball of blood. He was not bleeding out since the knife was still stuck in the wound, but Hongjoong needed him conscious anyway.

"My crewmates, yes. Are you married, admiral? Ah, you probably don't know how delicious it feels to breach a man's behind, don't you?"

With plain disgust apparent in his unfocused face, the soldier looked at Hongjoong.

"Then you tell me how it was to see your husband fall? I'm glad I got to use my hobby of archery on him. You should consider yourself lucky. He was an excellent target as he took those arrows for you." His cruel giggle fell on deaf ears. All he got was Hongjoong to slowly pull the knife out with his seething rage well hidden behind a frozen smirk. With sharp movements, he cut the man out of his bindings without caring about the flesh he sliced open in the process. When his holds disappeared, the wreck of a man immediately slipped and fell from the chair.

Hongjoong let him and kicked the chair off powerfully before pushing the man down on his stomach. The last few bits of his uniform that Hongjoong had sliced to stripes tumbled off him.

"In return for you showing such kindness, let me return the favor by making you feel the pleasures I made him feel yesterday. He is in the best of health and up for that, by the way."

It could difficult without the man's dick still attached to him, but Hongjoong would overlook that minor inconvenience.

However, for the first time in hours, slight resistance showed in the man's tense shoulders. He tried to push himself up and turned his head to glare at Hongjoong. Slight panic was showing on his face.

"Don't! Keep your filthy parts away from me!"

"Oh, I will. Not as if I would want to touch you." Instead, Hongjoong used his knife to plunge it deep inside the man. The blade did not reach inside as deep as Hongjoong's erection would have, but it was good enough. The deafening screams of the man as he started to fuck him with it harshly were all the same.

Hongjoong was leaving a mess, and seconds later, he was drenched in blood and water. Mingi had to hate him by now with how much the man was crying in agony. However, Hongjoong only stopped when he noticed the man's voice dying down, his muscles going lax.

Immediately, Hongjoong fisted a ruthless hand in the man's hair to push his face into the water. It took him only seconds to react to the water filling his lungs, then he was already alive and screaming again.

Hongjoong turned him on his back when Yunho finally returned and looked up at his doctor. Yunho appeared actually impressed with the work Hongjoong had done and the man still alive and gasping underneath him. Blood, spit and tears covered his face.

"We found three." Yunho nonchalantly opened his gloved hands to show Hongjoong the little furry balls of mischief. Proud, Hongjoong nodded. He motioned him to keep them in his hands for now as he looked back at his new friend.

"I'll now demonstrate to you our magic. It will be the last thing you see before you die, so be thankful and take that secret to the grave with you. I'll make these three little friends disappear now."

With that, he placed three shallow cuts on the man's stomach that he barely reacted to anymore. He was holding onto the last thin threads of life by now, not doing much but laying there with his broken legs.

After he was done, Hongjoong made Yunho place the rats on the man's stomach and covered them with the bucket afterwards. Then, he told Yunho to get the torch from the wall.

"You see, if rats sense heat, they panic quickly. They would do about anything to flee it. Even magic." With that, he set the bucket aflame and held it down with a long metal rod Yunho had brought to not be too near.

The admiral babbled intelligibly. His eyes were wide open again, and his mouth forming a scream, but no noise escaped him. When Hongjoong deemed it enough, he pulled the bucket off and rolled it in the water until the fire had gone out.

Then, he motioned at the man's tummy.

"There, all gone."

The rats were gone, but instead, the cuts had widened just enough for their little hungry bodies to fit through. When the admiral finally understood, his eyes immediately rolled back in his head, the shock making him faint.

Proud, Hongjoong leaned back.

"'e probably won't wake up anymore," Yunho observed with a frown. However, Hongjoong shrugged it off.

"It be a horrible last vision to die with, just 'ow I did. It be nay too dramatic." He washed his hands as best as possible with the dirty water and then collected the utensils in the bucket once again. Still, they were waiting.

The first rat emerged from the man's rear. It looked around confusedly before rushing off to hide somewhere again. Hongjoong wanted a cat for those little bastards already.

Yunho checked on the man's pupils after a while. He was already dead by the time the second rat poked the sniffing tip of its snout from his mouth and began eating away at his eyeballs contently. Shuddering, Hongjoong averted his eyes.

The third rat chose to stay inside and enjoy its meal rather than coming back to see the light of day.

"Throw 'im overboard tonight an' make sure nobody 'as to see 'im that doesn't want to. I shall try to get all that blood off me before I 'ug the next person." With a sigh, Hongjoong stood. The intense smell of blood made him slightly nauseous. He had long since lost his appetite, too, after seeing the rats move in the man's corpse.

"Aye, aye. Go aft to Seonghwa, then, an' tell 'im the jolly news."

"I would 'ave liked to get some information out o' 'im. About Yonghwan. But 'e been entirely useless."

Yunho comfortingly squeezed Hongjoong's shoulder.

"'is death will give ye two closure. Yonghwan be Seonghwa's stepdad. We will 'ave our ways o' findin' out what 'e 'ad planned."

With a smile, Hongjoong nodded. Then he yawned tiredly.

"Alright, then. See ye in three days at lunch."

Yunho laughed as Hongjoong turned to leave.

"Be that 'ow long ye be plannin' to fuck Seonghwa this time? Oh, or let 'im do ye?"

Hongjoong grinned nastily over his shoulder. He had to look like a demon with all the smeared blood in his face.

"No, I wanted to wait fer me appetite to return. But now that ye say it... Sounds jolly."

They saluted each other with stupid giggles before Hongjoong finally left. His heart felt lighter, at least, even if his deeds would leave him with nightmares again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong tortures and kills the admiral that killed him and shot at Hwa. He learns that the admiral considers Yonghwan a traitor and that Seonghwa took the arrows that were supposed to kill Hongjoong.


	26. The Truth

When Hongjoong stepped out from onto the deck again after washing himself downstairs, he found that it had started to snow. It was night, Hongjoong having spent most of his evening playing with the man that he never even cared to ask for his name. Not that it was necessary. Hongjoong only remembered the names of important people.

As he stepped onto the thin layer of snow that covered the ship, he immediately felt the icy winds freeze his wet hair and make him shiver. He should get back into Seonghwa's arms soon. Grumbling, he pulled the long coat of the man that he had borrowed earlier tighter around his frame. How was it that it reached to Seonghwa's calves but brushed Hongjoong's boots? Not fair.

Before Hongjoong could flee into his warm cabin to the embrace of his even warmer lover, a sudden call for his name distracted him.

"Captain, Captain! Look!"

Nonchalantly, Hongjoong turned his head to check on whatever trouble San was up to at the moment. He found the man crouching on the deck not far from Hongjoong and playing with the snow. He had three of his boys and Yeosang with him, and they were building little figures out of snow instead of shovelling it away. Yeosang looked adorably tiny in his coat.

"Look!"

"I be lookin', San!"

Impatient, San rose his dark brow at Hongjoong. Then he beckoned him over with a hectic wave of his hand.

"Ye gotta come 'ere, move!"

Rolling his eyes, Hongjoong shuffled over to them. He was too cold, his cheeks felt frozen already, and his nose was running. Yet, he entertained his mate instead of fleeing into a warm corner.

As Hongjoong neared, he noticed the group of men all sporting happy smiles on their reddened faces. San's dimples were constantly visible, and the sight alone made Hongjoong's heart warm his chest a little.

"What be it, I 'ave important captain things to do," Hongjoong lied gruffly. San playfully rolled his eyes at him.

"The only important thin' ye be doin' be yer pretty 'usband. Speakin' o' 'im, can ye ask 'im if 'e'll let me play with 'is umbra?"

Hongjoong shook his head as he stepped up to them. San immediately leaned his head against his thigh to nuzzle against him like a cat. Willingly, Hongjoong gave him the pats he craved.

"No. I don't want that bastard anywhere near me crew. So ye will keep yer thirsty 'ands off, savvy?"

San gave a disappointed noise. Immediately, he was pouting like a child as he pointed at the little sculpture in their middle.

"We build ye, yet this be yer gratitude."

Hongjoong silently stared at the abomination they had titled him with.

He had only one arm, and his head was slipping off his asymmetrical shoulders. Also, why were his legs one consistent wall of snow, where had his curves gone? Clearly, his crew was dissatisfied with him.

"From 'ow this 'ere be lookin' I should consider lettin' 'im eat ye." Hongjoong's voice was dry as a desert and made the boys giggle while San's eyes disappeared in his smile. Mindlessly, Hongjoong gave him more head pets.

"I always get me will."

With a final pat, Hongjoong stepped away again.

"Make sure to clean up 'ere. Hwa be the one out fer yer 'eads if ye don't." With a final wave over his shoulder, he stepped away to finally return to his cabin. He felt better having washed the grime and blood off his body, but it stuck to his soul anyway. He needed to sleep the paranoia off, preferably with his pretty husband close.

The giggles and murmurs of his crew accompanied him as he finally went back up the stairs. He respectfully knocked before entering to alert Seonghwa of his presence. However, he froze in his movement of grabbing the handle when there was no response.

Usually, Seonghwa would not sleep at this time. And even if he did, he was often a light enough sleeper to hum at least when this happened.

This time, the prolonged silence seemed to stretch intentionally.

Hongjoong slowly leaned in and pressed his ear against the door. Not a single noise came from inside, no page-turning or scribble of a pen that could have Seonghwa distracted.

Yet, Hongjoong was sure of his presence. He was there.

"Seonghwa?" He called out quietly as his fingers rapped against the weathered wood once more. He did not wish to intrude if Seonghwa did not want him inside, but at the same time, he felt worry begin to gnaw at his insides. What was wrong?

"I be goin' to enter. Tell me now if ye want me to stay out."

He waited another moment, but no answer came. With his brows furrowed, Hongjoong carefully stepped in.

The room was bathed in the orange light of a happy candle dancing away in its lamp, but for once, the picture that revealed itself to Hongjoong was not calming.

It was a replay. A memory from other days that ripped the same wounds open that it had mercilessly created the first time around.

Seonghwa was in the arms of his umbra again.

Only that they were back in a pose that Hongjoong had seen once before. A pose that had made him made then but let his nerves freeze over when the implications caught up with him today.

Just how Yeosang had said.

Seonghwa was the one who authorized all of this.

Hongjoong closed the door behind him without taking his eyes off the beautiful pair. This time, Seonghwa was not shut up by his umbra's hand. He stood in the same position, his hands slack at his sides while his doppelganger was holding him in place at his hip. Seonghwa's head had dropped back against the shadow's shoulder, and his eyes were squeezed shut as the other man was drinking his blood right from the main artery.

There was no way he had not heard Hongjoong.

With hot jealousy immediately drowning his worry like liquid lava, Hongjoong peeled his coat off to let it slip to the ground.

Again. Seonghwa had done it again. Even after all the promises and process they had made.

Hongjoong stepped in with long powerful movements to press right up against Seonghwa. Their bodies aligned to the man gasping softly and the umbra grinning around his mouthful of blood.

"Why be it that ye two keep findin' to each other?"

A breathless gasp sounded from Seonghwa when his umbra gave a rough suck, the quartermaster visibly struggling to stay on his legs. As Hongjoong moved to keep him upright, he wondered if Seonghwa had been conditioned to this. Was it part of their twisted games? It had surely made him hard. Gently, Hongjoong pressed his body up against Seonghwa's so their crotches ground together. His heels made him even taller than the lax man.

"Every time I spy it, I go mad. Be this here, why ye keep doin' it?" Hongjoong sneered at the umbra while he carefully cradled Seonghwa's head with his hand. The man was crying silently, but trying so hard to hold his tears back. His lip was bloody with how much he was biting down on it. Hongjoong hated to see how much his inner brows rose pitifully. His eyes were full off agony.

"Get off."

Grumbling, the doppelganger let go of his brutal grip his teeth had on Seonghwa's neck. His own neck was sporting the same wound that seeped darker blood as he lifted his head without stepping back. Calmly, Hongjoong caressed Seonghwa's back as he made him settle his head in his neck so he could cry against the captain's shoulder. Not a second, he stopped glaring at the umbra.

Seonghwa felt small like this. Not at all like the tall and broad pirate he was. Not at all like the man with the cut open mouth and cruel grin. Not at all like a murderer.

Hongjoong could wrap one arm completely around the other man's waist, and he just felt incredibly vulnerable in Hongjoong's arms. As if he would break apart if Hongjoong did not hold him together.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Hongjoong. It's my fault, all mine. He- I'm the one who can't get enough, I can't stop, I-"

Hongjoong gently hushed him and continued rubbing slow circles into Seonghwa's hip using his thumb. He did not need an explanation.

"I know. As I said, not yer copin' makes me mad. I've spied worse. 'owever, it be this here bastard that bothers me. Who keeps 'urtin' ye."

The umbra smirked, sharp fangs on display. Hongjoong shuddered at the thought of having them inside his neck.

"No one else could have done it. Who, if not him, would have hurt me on this ship? Nobody, Hongjoong." Seonghwa burrowed his face deeper as if he was trying to disappear in Hongjoong. Shame seeped from his every pore, but Hongjoong stubbornly held him closer.

"I'm sorry, Joong. I'm not trying to- to hurt you or to make you question our marriage, I'm just... Way too selfish."

Hongjoong pressed a faint kiss to his temple, not minding the blood that seeped into his new shirt.

"Don't be. Ye must 'ave felt lonely. Ye did yer best fer everybody still an' I be proud o' that. This be no decision to be sorry fer."

"'earin' ye talk like this to 'im makes me wish I 'ad me precious aft. I be very much mad at ye fer this. Shouldn't ye treat me the same as 'im? I be 'alf o' 'im. Ye 'urt me far more." The umbra spoke up with the same deep drawl that Seonghwa used when he was sleepy or in the mood for sex, and Hongjoong nearly made a face at him. They were way too close anyway with Seonghwa squished between them and both of them breathing down on each other's lips.

Hongjoong disliked the dark depths of the shadow's eyes. They had something so entirely alien and evil in them. It was not even like an animal fixating on its prey. It was poison withering away and looking for anything to consume.

"Ye manipulative sadist. 'aven't ye 'ad yer fill yet? Isn't 'im reachin' out to ye enough to mock 'im with? Do ye truly need to exploit 'im? Yer ability to 'urt yerself fer yer sick pleasures be the worst trait ye 'ave."

With a chuckle, the shadow rose one hand to lift it to Hongjoong's chin. He tilted his head up gently and leaned in, his lips barely brushing over Hongjoong's.

"Oh, but I also get to see ye suffer an' that be so much fun... Seein' ye two clin' to each other like children- it be delicious. It be me sole entertainment in them lonely 'ours that I share with Hwa. We both know 'ow 'ard it be to 'ave our lovers ditch us." He pressed a chaste kiss to Hongjoong's lips, making the pirate snarl at him. Seonghwa was still shivering and sobbing between them, their tense hatred threatening to suffocate him.

Hongjoong nearly let go of him to fistfight the shadow, but he called himself out before that could happen. That was exactly what the snake wanted. He wanted Hongjoong, and he wanted to see Seonghwa suffer through the loss once more.

But Hongjoong would resist. He would not allow him to mess with Seonghwa's mind like that. He breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down again.

Seonghwa thought differently.

"Do it."

Confused, Hongjoong pulled back a bit, trying to look at him, but the grip on his chin turned stony. He was unable to avert his eyes from the umbra that hungrily licked his lips while staring at Hongjoong. It was as if he was going to be consumed. Not eaten, just sucked in and suffocated by eternal darkness.

"Do what, prettyboy?" The umbra spoke against Hongjoong's lips, his breath hot and mingling with the captain's. Shuddering, Seonghwa arched into Hongjoong and wrapped his hands around his waist loosely. Hongjoong could feel him tremble with emotion.

"What- what you said you would do. Hurt him. Make it stop. Help me." Seonghwa begged quietly, and it was as if a lever had been turned inside of Hongjoong. Within a second, he slipped into the role of his ruthless self that very much hated this creature, and that was still very much alive and pulsating from his earlier deeds.

He would do anything that Seonghwa asked him to.

"What if I 'urt ye?"

"I'll stay... I'll be right here. You can... Do it all I just want to see him suffer." Seonghwa drew in a shaky breath.

Hongjoong heatedly stared at the umbra, who smirked right back at him.


	27. Inception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It goes down down baby~
> 
> Anyway. Smut.

Maybe it was bad timing. Maybe they should not have made that decision. Maybe Hongjoong had decided without thinking too much and controlled by negative feelings. However, this choice had been made between Seonghwa and him, and he knew that as long as they would stay together, they would be able to work it out again.

Maybe Hongjoong's subconscious was aware of the trap he had blindly run into. Yet, his stubborn mind told him that they would be fine. They would always be.

"Sit down on the bed," Hongjoong murmured against Seonghwa's ear before finally letting go of him and instead facing the umbra. They were about the same height, making Hongjoong's eyes tick with annoyance as the man still dared to arrogantly smirk down at him. 

Seonghwa had barely sat down when Hongjoong was already kicking out the legs from under the sinisterly grinning man. He fell onto his knees heavily but without a noise of protest. Impatient, Hongjoong slapped off his fedora with a swipe of his hand.

Yet, he still received a mocking grin from underneath challenging eyes. He would gladly peel those out of the man's attractive skull, but that was not the kind of pain he wanted to inflict on his Seonghwa.

"Now, 'ow will I make ye shut that damn to the depths mouth o' yours without 'urtin' Hwa too much. Ye be only connected o'er pain receptors, right?"

"Aye. Now, what will ye do? I enjoy the pain." The man reached out for Hongjoong's legs and let his hands travel up his legs to fiddle nimbly with the cords on his breeches. Hongjoong heatedly watched him as he fisted a hand into the man's hair for good measure. He would need to make his dominance clear.

"Since yer mind be twisted as it be, I doubt I can break it. Yet, I can push ye as close to that as possible. There be painless methods to torture somebody." He ripped the shadow's head back before he could lean in and get a taste. From under lidded eyes, the dark Seonghwa watched him. Breathlessly, he licked his lips.

"Ye want to make me desperate fer ye?"

"Since ye enjoy sex so much we can see 'ow much ye can take. Ye might be a mighty magical bein', but yer vessel be very much 'uman. An' I know to deal with them."

For once, he felt the shadow actually shiver in his hold. His gaze stayed steady, not wavering in the least and proving Hongjoong's theory of his mind being too strong to break with any method.

"It be not as if we need ye around 'ere. I can just tie ye to the mast an' 'ave all o' me lads who crave me 'usband so much 'ave their way with ye. A nice promise, be it nay? Ye can spend yer time there an' we can see when ye'll beg me to take ye down. Who knows, since ye crave me so much, it might be even more frustratin' not gettin' me. The only thin' ye e'er wanted."

This time, the shadow's eyes widened slightly. He eyed Hongjoong's by now hardening length that he wisely kept his fingers away from before looking back up at Hongjoong. There it was. He kept whining about needing Hongjoong as a replacement for his own lover. And now that he could have him, he was going to be denied. Satisfied, Hongjoong smirked down at him.

"As I spy it ye be distracted enough with that to avast fuckin' things up fer at least a while. An' it won't be too bad, right? Yer sick mind will enjoy it anyway."

"Hongjoong."

The captain lifted his eyes at the breathy call of his lover. Seonghwa was sitting on the bed undressed by now and with his eyes nearly black with jealousy. He seemed just as dissatisfied as Hongjoong was whenever he caught them together. Hongjoong had to laugh humorlessly.

"Give me a moment. I don't want 'im to move too much. Stay in yer 'uman form, no shadow tricks from now on."

Hongjoong got some ropes and made sure to restrict the shadow's arms tightly to his back. He left him in his stupid dark uniform he was wearing and just pulled his boots off so they would not get in the way. Then, he roughly grabbed the man at the nape and hauled him over to the bed.

He was careful not to inflict too much pain on him since it would aid neither of them, but the little gasp that he gave when Hongjoong dug his fingers in his wound was worth it.

At least he reacted without acting up. When he found his face at level with Seonghwa's length, he immediately went to work and wrapped his pretty lips around the tip. Hongjoong pushed him down until he gagged and held him there to struggle and buck against his grip while he looked around in the room.

"I can imagine it to be incredibly frustratin' to be missin' a lubber one be used to. If I imagined ne'er feelin' Hwa's 'ands again, it would drive me crazy. 'owever, I'd be even more mad if I 'ad them 'ands right with me, but they ne'er touched me. Ye see what I be gettin' at?"

Hongjoong leaned over to get the whip that was lying rolled up on the chest at the bottom of their bed. He let go of the umbra finally to pull it taut with a snap and kicked his knees apart forcefully. It irked him that the man was not as trembly and whiny as Seonghwa was. He wanted to break that arrogant behaviour and get a little more respect into the man, but he was probably not even build for that to function. How was a being born from pure evil and darkness supposed to stop doing what made its very essence?

But for his and Seonghwa's sakes, he could at least do this.

The umbra gasped for air as Hongjoong impatiently pulled his pants down and put the whip to work. He wrapped the rough leather around one of the man's thighs and also included his length in. Seconds later, it was strapped to his leg, and he could impossibly get friction out of this.

After a little consideration, Hongjoong then inserted the rigid handle into his entrance. It was Seonghwa who clenched his thighs at the sight while the umbra rather tried to squirm his way out of his new predicament.

"Sit against the bed." Hongjoong did not waste any breaths with his orders, just impatiently pulling the man off until only a string of salvia connected him to Seonghwa. He was coughing with tears clogging his eyes, but he did not resist as Hondjoong manhandled him. Hongjoong tried to ignore how hard it made him to be this rough and careless towards a man that had Seonghwa's face.

"Since ye be so jolly at makin' people jealous, let's give ye a taste o' not gettin' what ye desperately want. "

A breathless smirk graced the umbra's lips.

"Ye be smarter than I gave ye account fer. I assumed ye would fuck me into tomorrow an' 'urt yer dear enough fer 'im to turn away from yer sick mind," he rasped triumphantly.

Hongjoong shook his head.

"Not since ye explicitly told me ye like pain. Ye was tryin' to gain somethin' by manipulatin' me into this. 'owever, Seonghwa be me utmost priority. An' I will not let ye 'urt 'im not even through me 'ands." With those words, Hongjoong gently pulled Seonghwa to his feet and positioned him on his knees above the umbra. Seonghwa complied, but he kept throwing nervous glances over his shoulder.

"'ere, suffocate 'im. It doesn't 'urt ye, right?"

"I- Hongjoong, I can't do such things." Helpless, Seonghwa reached a hand out towards him. Taking it, Hongjoong stepped closer, so he was standing above the bound umbra.

"That be fine. If I fuck ye like this, it be me deed, alright? Concentrate on me an' think o' 'is mouth as just a warm place fer ye to thrust into." He pressed Seonghwa's hips down then, making him breach the mouth of his umbra deep until his head was trapped between Seonghwa's body and the bed. Hongjoong saw him grind down on the whip fruitlessly and reached down to run a hand over his neck. He could feel Seonghwa's outline move in it as he placed weak thrusts down the man's throat.

Seonghwa's body was still willing and open for Hongjoong to sink right into. He grabbed onto the man's tattoed side as he gave the first deep thrust. It made Seonghwa throw his head back and forced him deeper at the same time. The umbra's legs thrashed uselessly as he was choked, his hips thrusting in the air in search of pleasure.

Hongjoong breathlessly grinned down at them as he brainstormed more ideas to destroy the umbra as much as possible in the next few days. Maybe denying him of the one thing he craved would be the only viable method even when every angry cell in Hongoong screamed at him to just have him cry and wrecked while he writhed underneath Hongjoong.

But no, he would not learn then. He would get what he wanted, and he would anger Hongjoong enough for him to seriously hurt Seonghwa.

For now, it was just a distraction. He needed a better solution for the unquenchable thirst of the demon soon. He would only take more if the crew failed to get rid of him.

-

Hongjoong was spent as he looked down on both Seonghwas. He had Seonghwa to his left and slowly riding his leg while his mouth and pretty lips worked around Hongjoong's length. His lashes had fluttered shut while he provided heavenly sensations with his talented tongue.

His shadow was on Hongjoong's other side and slowly riding his foot with his face mirroring Seonghwa's. It was apparent that he had no sense of humiliation, yet he seemed to be aware that he was still being treated lower. And despite having his mouth on Hongjoong, it was not the kind of embrace he craved.

Since he lacked emotion, he had not grown agitated so far, but he seemed slightly confused, at least. Not as submissive as Hongjoong would like him, but at least more cautious around him. Hongjoong wondered if that would genuinely change his behaviour towards Seonghwa, though.

Hongjoong let his hand slide through Seonghwa's hair lazily as the man sunk down on him and engulfed him in his hot mouth. His shadow used the moment to lean back and press down on Hongjoong with a few desperate rolls of his hips. Hongjoong did not help him in the slightest, too focused on the way how Seonghwa's lips wrapped around him. At Hongjoong's low hum, he opened his eyes to look at him from under his messy locks.

He had calmed down by now, and his shaking had stopped, but the question in his eyes was still very much apparent. They needed a solution that helped get rid of the umbra. This time, they might have dodged him, but this would elevate the situation only for a while.

Hongjoong's foot twitched as Seonghwa trailed a hand down the ticklish inside of Hongjoong's thigh. His shadow groaned in response, his voice raw.

Seonghwa pulled off to reach over and push out the shadow again, too, so that they could both work on Hongjoong together. Hongjoong began fucking the shadow with his foot at the same pace that Seonghwa used to grind down on him. However, even as the demon's face contorted, Hongjoong found himself helpless.

He was not emotionally vulnerable and also not physically. The only real way to get rid of him would be to make Yongguk lift Liv's curse. And so far, they had no prognosis of that ever succeeding.

Tired, Hongjoong let his head drop against the pillows. He was exhausted from the round of torture and then having both Seonghwas that needed his attention.

He needed a break, but today was only one example of how he could only achieve that goal after he had gotten rid of their sick doppelgangers.

With a sigh, Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa up by his nape, so that he could kiss the man. The night would be a long one if they tried to wear the umbra out as far as possible. And after that, Hongjoong would make sure that he would stay strapped to the mast for at least a week for the crew to have its fun with.


	28. Of Ink and Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some dirty talking at the end of this chapter but nothing too smutty

Hongjoong had kept his promise. Right on the next day, he had Mingi help him restrain his enemy to the mast. San was the most excited out of all of them and loudly exclaimed his right to have the first go at the man who looked like Seonghwa. The crew seemed positively _hungr_ y at the sight of his naked form chained to the rough wood.

When Mingi and Hongjoong were finished with their work, the captain gave an appreciative pat to Mingi's shoulder. The man blinked cluelessly at him.

"Claim yer right to go second." With that, he stepped away to return to Seonghwa. The man was waiting in their cabin stuck in bed since, after all, Hongjoong had been too rough to him. Seonghwa had needed it, though. He had craved the sensations of Hongjoong holding him close to feel alive.

As Hongjoong stepped back in and shook the cold off, Seonghwa smiled at him gently from where he was seated on the bed. He had prepared the utensils they needed for tattooing on the blankets and was waiting in his little nest with a smile that made him glow.

Surprised, Hongjoong lifted his brow at him. He had not been that shining and rather sleepy when he had left.

"Did somethin' jolly 'appen? Feelin' relieved to 'ave the worm gone fer a while?"  
  
It was a risk to put the umbra where he was now. Not only could a sudden storm attack him, but when they were attacked, he would also be the first to get hurt in the fire. Hongjoong had sworn to personally have an eye on him in case he abused his current situation to hurt Seonghwa.

However, Seonghwa shook his head with a melodic hum.

"Nothing like that. I just remembered that I love you, though."

Hongjoong tried to grimace at the sudden confession but failed. The big smile that sneaked on his lips anyway tugged every frown he could have sported into a softer version of what it was supposed to be.

"Nonsense. Ye be just after me money." Hongjoong threw his coat over the backrest of his chair casually as he approached the bed. Seonghwa was sitting prettily on the warm furs and had not bothered to put on clothes yet. Hongjoong threw him a shirt anyway.

"Don't get sick on me."

Seonghwa pouted at him after his initial gasp had died down. Despite his irritation, he thoughtfully took his shirt to throw it on. He left the cords undone, causing it to slip off his right shoulder almost immediately.

"I won't. And how did you know? My whole scheme of seducing you for your riches just failed like that! I'm in dire need to kill you now that you know and take off with your treasure."

The skin of Seonghwa's thigh was blessedly smooth underneath Hongjoong's fingers as he reached out his hand to brush over the man's skin. He settled down next to him slowly, so the royal posture that Seonghwa upheld would not be jostled too much. His lips pressed against the jut of Seonghwa's collarbone on his naked shoulder.

Seonghwa hummed, leaning into his side as Hongjoong wrapped an arm around his husband's waist. As he was marking him up, Seonghwa gave gentle gasps and shudders, always so eager to press in.

"What will ye do, then? When me biggest treasure be ye yerself? Will ye kidnap yerself?" The words were untypically romantic coming from Hongjoong's mouth, yet he did not turn them into a nervous joke. He just hummed them against Seonghwa's skin, so that they could imprint themselves there and make him feel them. Hongjoong always wondered if it was enough and if Seonghwa was still sure of this, but his worries had lessened after the man had actually married him. Now, he just wanted to make sure that Seonghwa would get the best out of that decision.

"Is it possible? Stealing the treasure of the Pirate King?"

"Fer the Pirate Prince 'imself? O' course. Only fer 'im." Hongjoong lifted his head to look at Seonghwa. The man was already observing him with soft eyes and a slight smile tugging at one corner of his lips. The affection that showed on his face was apparent even for the blindest of all fools, and Hongjoong did not need to ask further.

"However, that does not mean that I will let ye go." Hongjoong tilted his head so his breath could brush over Seonghwa's mouth warmly. In response, the other man parted his lips expectantly.

"Good," he murmured back in response, "because I don't want you to anyway." It was Seonghwa, who closed the last gap between them, so their lips could melt against each other. It felt natural, as if he and Seonghwa had kissed for a million times before, too. Their mouths seemed to have grown so accustomed to each other that Hongjoong would be able to imitate the pillowy press of them in his dreams and draw them with his eyes closed. It felt right to kiss this man, and even after the years they had spent together, Hongjoong never stopped to wonder how fate had brought them together so conveniently.

Hongjoong kissed him with the deepest of all the feelings in his chest. It was the warmest, the one that felt most like home. He gained the same feelings back from Seonghwa, too. His lips seemed to say the words without even one noise escaping him. Yet, Hongjoong knew.

Despite all the troubles Seonghwa had run into, and despite the time they had spent apart or fighting, Seonghwa's response would always be Hongjoong.

Drawing in a shuddering breath, Hongjoong let his lips slide off Seonghwa's before their warm and gentle kisses could turn into something more heated.

Yet, when he opened his eyes again and noticed Seonghwa's slightly reddened and kissable lips so close, he surged right back in.

Seonghwa startled when their teeth suddenly knocked together. He nearly lost his balance at the eagerness that Hongjoong displayed, but Hongjoong managed to tighten his grip around the man's waist in the last second. Giggling, they breathed each other's air rather than actually kissing. It was merely a gentle press here an there, just Seonghwa's sweet pecks to the corners of Hongjoong's mouth until they finally pulled apart. Hongjoong left a last apologising kiss on the other man's lips before sitting back.

Seonghwa bit his lips around his smirk.

"So anyway. I wanted to ask you something."

Hongjoong grinned as he dropped down on the bed and settled his head comfortably in his husband's lap. Immediately, Seonghwa brought a hand down to brush through Hongjoong's dark hair.

"Let me guess. It 'as to do with ink." Hongjoong snuggled up against the other's warm thigh as he gave a chuckle.

"Indeed. How could ye have guessed? It be an idea I had, but we can push it to a later date if ye aren't comfortable with it yet." 

Seonghwa sorted through the utensils and sketches he had lying around. He found something in between and pulled it out. He quietly handed it to Hongjoong so he could take a look at it.

"An 'ourglass?"

"Aye. But the important part is... the sand doesn't run down. It runs up. This is just something I sketched earlier quickly, but... If I put skulls at the bottom and some flowers on top- Of course, only we will know its actual meaning. But since you returned and all that without any scars or such, I think putting it on you would be nice." Seonghwa was slurring slightly in his ramblings while Hongjoong was still gently stroking his thigh. He was partly aware that he was looking at the man as if he had gifted him the world and every star on the sky, but he did not care too much. In front of Seonghwa, he could be vulnerable.

"Where?" 

Instead of an answer, Seonghwa just settled his hand on Hongjoong's chest, right above his beating heart.

"Here."

Hongjoong brought his hand up to splay his fingers over Seonghwa's. His hand was much smaller than Seonghwa's, but the vice-captain made up for it by gently hooking his slender fingers over Hongjoong's. His skin was warm.

"Savvy, I be likin' it. We can start right away if ye want. An' after ye've finished yer sketches." Hongjoong craned his head back so he could look at Seonghwa better. The man's locks were falling into his eyes as he smiled happily. 

"Give me a minute, then. Until then, ye may listen to the happy symphony of Woosan moaning over my other self outside. I don't know if this should flatter me so much if I'm honest." Seonghwa began drawing away while Hongjoong frowned at the noises he heard from outside indeed. It seemed like they were enjoying themselves with the man strapped to the mast with his back out to them unprotected.

"Be ye in pain? I explicitly told them to be careful."

Seonghwa chuckled. "I'm not. Don't even feel a thing. Whatever they do, it might make him uncomfortable, but it's not painful."

"Good. I would run right out an' yell at them if they did. Don't 'esitate to tell me at even the slightest tug."

"You talk as if I were pregnant." Seonghwa's chuckle was lighthearted, but he noticed his mistake just a second too late. By the time he was scrambling to put his drawing contents down and explain, Hongjoong was already turning to him with a broad smirk. Seonghwa froze like a scared rabbit when their eyes met.

"Oh, Seonghwa~" Hongjoong sang the man's name playfully even when Seonghwa was already pushing weakly at his chest to get him to stop. Hongjoong laughed at the minimal effort as Seonghwa acted displeased, but also did not fight too vehemently.

"I nearly forgot about that. So ye be still into that, 'm? Still want me to put a baby in ye?"

"Look..." Seonghwa slapped his papers down with little intimidation. Hongjoong thought his pout was rather cute.

"I'm not saying I'm jealous of Liv or anything, but us two would make _gorgeous_ babies!" 

Hongjoong sat up swiftly so he could face his blushing boyfriend. Still, he was pressing his hand against Hongjoong's leg, barely pushing but trying for the farce of it.

"We would. An' ye would also look very jolly not only fucked out an' with me cum drippin' out o' ye but also with yer belly all swollen with me child. Yer infatuation with this idea ne'er ceases to amaze me. Would ye like that? To rest in 'ere all plugged up an' nice while we fight outside, so ye don't spill any o' it? An' one day it works an' ye would tell me with the 'appiest look on yer face."

Seonghwa gave a little defeated whine, his head drooping a bit. He was trying to hide behind his hair but failed at it since Hongjoong playfully tilted his head to glance at him anyway. Seonghwa's blush dusted his cheeks like the faintest touch of rose petals on his skin, and he had bit his lip, but the corners of his mouth tugged at his smile anyway.

Hongjoong smirked proudly.

Sometimes, he felt defeated at the thought of not being able to give that to Seonghwa, but as long as the thought of it made him whiney, he would not mind feeding into it. It was true, after all. Seonghwa did look well filled with him.

"Would ye cry fer me? While we try fer it an' I make sure that ye be filled so well every day, so it will work fer sure, would ye cry when it became too much? Ye probably would since the thought be just so sweet in yer mind, be it nay?"

"Hongjoong... Tattoo, please. My hips already hurt, don't seduce me into even more stupid decisions." Weakly, Seonghwa thumbed at Hongjoong's shirt, his coquettish voice betraying him. He surely would not mind hearing more of that, but as it seemed, the tattoo was important to him, too.

"Alright, sugar. Let's talk about it again afterwards. I 'ave a feelin' this thought would 'eat ye up wonderfully."

After pressing a mischievous kiss on Seonghwa's cheek, Hongjoong settled down again, satisfied with the way Seonghwa's hands shook as he picked up the papers again. Hongjoong merely crossed his legs and waited for the man to do whatever he wanted.

But this time, he would remember and use it against his lover later again.


	29. The Man in the Mirror

Hongjoong had spent a lovely evening with his crew. They all sat together and laughed and ate. It somewhen escalated in Jongho singing an opera for them, Wooyoung crying with laughter and Yeosang sobbing in a corner due to a series of unrelated events. They had much to celebrate and retell still, and nobody got tired of repeating the same stories over and over again. The by now completely distorted tale of San fighting in prison had made its round about seven times. Yunho still recalled the moment of Seonghwa nearly killing Hongjoong on the deck with wide eyes, making everybody shudder.

Hongjoong was pleasantly buzzed with alcohol that warmed him up from the inside and made Seonghwa look even more beautiful in his eyes. Every colour was more vibrant, and every noise louder. The tired captain was leaning against Mingi, who had insisted on getting the seat next to him.

Hongjoong's crew was satisfied in every regard. They had taken their time with Seonghwa's umbra and used him for the unspeakable things they could not do with their lovers. Now that the food filled their round stomaches, everybody was sleepy and happy.

It made the situation of a knock sounding on the doorframe even more hilarious. It had every conversation dying down within a minute, and the men grow rigid as they all nervously looked at each other.

Hongjoong could watch all colour drain from their faces. They were all inside here - well, except the umbra - and nobody should be able to knock. Nobody had felt a ship approach, either. There was no signal of an attack, and they were in the middle of the ocean.

Just as sluggish as the rest of the crew, Hongjoong turned his head. He had his meat knife ready in his hand to be thrown with about eighty percent probability of hitting his goal since he was drunk.

However, it was just Yongguk. Yongguk, who looked entirely at home as he dragged something inside the room without even caring to keep an eye on the tense pirates. The things he had with him was broad and covered by a sordid and stained brown blanket.

Somebody let go of a breath he had held, and the chatter picked up again. Yongguk's knowing smirk made Jongho scoff.

The warlock lifted his hand in a brief greeting as Yeosang finally jumped up to help him. He swayed only slightly, not as drunk as the rest. Together, they managed to get the flat thing in and leaned it against a wall.

Yongguk wiped his sweat off when he was finally finished. Then, he spoke up, ultimately giving them an explanation for his sudden appearance out of nowhere.

"Alright, this is a once in a lifetime favour. If you ever get cursed by an angry witch again, don't ask me to take care of it." He gave a breathless smile that had Hongjoong sitting up straight. His brain was quickly back to sober thoughts, pushing the drunkenness away. If it was about Liv, it had to be important.

"Ye found somethin'?"

"Aye. And from what I saw up on the deck, you are in dire need for it." Yongguk rolled his eyes at them while he pulled the dirty blanket off. Hongjoong expected something grand, but instead, it was just a mirror. A broken one, at that. Proud, Yongguk pushed his dark locks out of his face with his bony fingers.

"Aye, we be always in dire need fer a mirror."

Yongguk glared at Mingi until he tuned the sass down. Then he motioned Hongjoong to come over. The captain did, swaying on his legs like a newborn foal. He nearly fell until Jongho had to forcefully wring the bottle of rum out of his hand so he would not bleed out in case he stumbled.

Through sheer willpower, Hongjoong made it over, not losing even one step to the treacherous heels on his feet.

However, when Yongguk stepped away, so he could look into the mirror, Hongjoong felt his heart come to a stuttering halt in his chest. Every single hair on his body rose as if in defence when a chilly shudder crept down his spine.

The man he saw in the mirror was not himself. It was a man in dark clothes, a mask and a fedora. And Hongjoong saw his piercings twinkling on his reflection as he turned his head to stare at himself.

"What- 'e be dead. Ye said yerself that he be dead."

Yongguk put a steady hand on Hongjoong's shoulder when the man nearly fell as he turned too hastily. The warlock stepped up to shush him soothingly, yet he was frowning. Hongjoong suspected he might not like the answer that was coming up.

"He is. In your world, he is. However, he is not completely gone, as you can see."

Beyond confused yet fascinated, Hongjoong stepped closer. He did not dare touch the mirror yet, but he did get closer to extend a hand. As he swirled his fingers, he watched the shattered glass reflect it idly.

"This is what I presume Liv cursed you mates with. This mirror leads to the world where her magic stems from. It serves as a form of portal I would call it. A portal to the place your umbras came from. I call it the Abyssus. I had to get over a lot of barriers, but there is no mistaking it. This is where your curse emerged. And this is where their true and very much destructible selves reside."

Hongjoong was too drunk for this.

He rubbed his temples as he felt a migraine coming up with a dull ache behind his eyes.

However, Yeosang thankfully took over for him.

"So... This place- We can visit it? Through this mirror? And there, we can kill those bastards?"

Yongguk nodded swiftly. "Aye."

"But isn't it broken? Can you repair it?" Yeosang seemed intrigued. He had put his elbow on the table and was watching the scene like a hawk with his chin supported by his flat palm. Yongguk seemed to be elated to speak to the one sane person in the room.

"It is still very much usable. I've tried it myself before bringing it here. No worries, whatever is inside is sealed away in that world if not for a contract. I can get you in and back out. This here" he patted the mirror as if it was a friend, "is your method of becoming free of any curses and gaining your souls back. Well, not you." He directed the last part at Hongjoong only. His smile was somewhere between proud and happy, but Hongjoong still felt like throwing up. To support himself, he wrapped an arm around the taller man's waist.

"Ye, me matey, 'ave such bad timin'".

Yongguk gave him a sharp clap on the back.

"I specifically checked and made sure to wait two weeks until you were drunk enough not take this calmly. What do you think I'm doing all day long, I came to solve this issue and will go solve the next one soon."

Hongjoong chuckled as he steered the other man over to their table. He ordered Wooyoung to hunt down a few bites of food for their visitor and put him on his other side as he sat down next to Mingi again.

"Tell me what you need from that world. I will get it for you. We appreciate your help very much. Especially for the past few months."

Yongguk grinned lazily as he lifted his drink in a toast with Hongjoong's bottle. With a clink, both objects connected.

"I was just joking. I can see all the questions on your face. You have time. The portal can be used anytime, even though I have a feeling that you might want to claim this opportunity as soon as possible. As long as you've all recovered fully, of course." His eyes fell onto the layer of bandages that peeked out from Hongjoong's shirt.

Hongjoong slowly nodded his head. He had much to think about. He needed to discuss this with Yeosang, too.

"If I may suggest something? Since Admiral Yonghwan has risen in ranks since our little trap, hiding your ship around the areas that are under his jurisdiction might be an unexpected move that won't expose you to curious eyes. You can be back before he even thinks about searching there."

His comment was relatively harmless, yet it reminded Hongjoong of all the questions he had had all this time. Snapping back, he slammed his bottle down hard enough for it to crack. With a curse, he let go of the shattering glass and did not mind the mess any further. Yongguk simply pushed the largest shards off his plate before he continued eating. Sometimes his teeth audibly crunched on something, and some crew members nearby flinched.

"Now that you mention it. Tell me what the hell was going on over there. You know, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I know. I helped scheme it." Not as if the smug man had not known even without conspiring anyway.

"Talk. I will respect yer advice on hidin' in 'is lands."

Yongguk happily chewed away on his glass-spiced meat.

"I had to change locations a lot in those few months after your death. I was there to make sure your friends didn't get killed, took care of Kira and tried to find a way to bring you back at the same time. You can imagine the hassle. However, the luring the crew thing was Yonghwan's idea. Not that he believed in it. From what I've heard, he was trying to do somebody a favour. Not only was he hoping you would get and save your friends, but he also planned against your favourite navy guy."

Hongjoong's eyes wandered to Seonghwa, who was sitting in between Yunho and Jongho. He seemed about sober by now, too, and was attentively listening to their every word.

"Why? Because 'e rose in ranks?"

Yongguk leaned back on the bench with a smirk. He pulled his legs up to cross them and smooth his hands over his naked feet mindlessly. Now that Hongjoong saw it, he wondered if he had ever seen the other man wear shoes. He could not quite remember.

"Not at all, no. I know, both parties have very biased thinking in these regards, but he was a bad one. Nobody should kill for enjoyment or enjoy killing. He did both. He was a tad too cruel for a government that claims to fight for justice. Yonghwan can't change the system, but he can get rid of certain people smoothly. He's not a bad person." Yongguk downed his drink in one go, not minding the burning alcohol the least.

Hongjoong gave a hum.

"Very true, 'e 'as me respect, too. Be 'e in trouble?"

"From what I've gathered, nobody lived to tell the tale, and everybody who saw his little accident chose to keep their lips sealed. Am I right?" With a crooked smirk, Yongguk tilted his head. His eyes were shining with mirth that made Hongjoong crack up with laughter.

"Aye, matey. Now tell me, what be it that there ye wish fer me to salvage in that weird demon world?" Hongjoong patiently pushed their empty plates back. By now, the crew had fallen quiet, also. They were just too damn curious to ignore them. Yongguk's deep voice filled the room as if he was speaking of a mysterious prophecy.

"You will run in more people than just your shadows there. It is a world similar like ours, just on the other side of the mirror. One of those people has an artefact that you will need. No, not an artefact. An ingredient. You will have to prepare a potion before you go, so you have a chance in fighting and don't get ripped apart by your demons in their natural habitat. And this person's blood is part of it. You will know when it's time. Bring me some of their blood."

Magical blood. Something that only Yongguk would ask for, probably. Not that Hongjoong needed to think about that right now, though.

"Got it. It been cryptical as 'ell, but that be why I 'ave Yeosang, after all. 'e'll get behind it when it be time." Hongjoong winked at the offended navigator, who promptly turned to pout into Wooyoung's shoulder. He was murmuring about how he was apparently only here to solve the quizzes, and Wooyoung cooingly petted his hair.

"So, what do we need? Fer the potion? We can start preparin' right away an' then set sail as soon as possible."

Yongguk nonchalantly pulled a list out of his pocket. Before he read it, he cleared his throat and glanced at their excited circle fleetingly.

"There are five. Every symbolises an important milestone in the progress of the curse. If you use it against them, they will weaken. Again, this is not a necessity, but it will preserve your heads for a while. First, you need flour. Flour from Seonghwa's kitchens to be clear." He glared at the giggling pirates until they quietened down again.

"Then, bones. From a certain wendigo friend." With those words, he reached into his pocket again and pushed some pale things over to Hongjoong. Indeed, bones. Hongjoong accepted them with a confused nod.

"A shell from the place your umbra died in. That's a secret ingredient, and I'm sure it will do a great deal in the trick." He handed that over, too.

"And then ink. I hope you kept the letter Kira sent you." While Yongguk grinned at Seonghwa, Hongjoong recounted the list suspiciously.

These were all closely related to Seonghwa.

Watchful, he observed Yongguk in his banter with his crew.

As always, he was hiding information from them. But this time, it was not hard to guess. Their first curse had been the same for everybody. However, the second curse, the one that came with Liv's death, was connected to Seonghwa as the centre of it.

And Hongjoong had been the one to trigger it by killing her.


	30. Big Plans

Seonghwa's mother was not at home when they knocked on her door.

Hongjoong threw Seonghwa a worried glance, but he just waved it off. His face was calm as he circled the house and stepped into the open barn. It was empty safe for some hay in a corner.

"It's fine; they are probably out on a walk with Jimmy. We can wait here." Seonghwa was just moving to duck back out so they could wait on the porch when Hongjoong grabbed his hips to push him back with gentle force. The smell of fresh hay and the horse still lingered together with its warmth that was stored well in the closed-off room. Hongjoong had decided he would want to stay here instead.

Seonghwa's back connected with the wall softly and naturally, his hands found Hongjoong and pulled him close, so that they could share their heat. Hongjoong slipped his fingers under Seonghwa's warm clothes sneakily and revelled in the little jolt that seized the man when Hongjoong's cold fingers hit his hot skin. Then, they giggled with each other.

Seonghwa relaxed and let Hongjoong lean against his body comfortably as he craned his head to kiss his husband sweetly.

Maybe they got lost just a little bit in the feeling of warm lips on each other's necks. Neither of them took notice of the time passing as they caressed each other's bodies and shared hot breaths with each other. Soon, the winter and the snow outside was forgotten, and it was just their warm hearts melting away any ice.

By the time voices got loud outside, Hongjoong's hair was ruffled and Seonghwa's lips red with kisses. While the man blushingly stepped back when he heard the barn door open, Hongjoong grinned at his debauched state. Even when they fixed their clothes quickly, the lust that had blown Seonghwa's eyes wide was still very much visible.

Tikki appeared first. She had pulled the door open responsibly so they could lead the horse in. At the sight of the two men leaning against the wall, she squeaked scared at first. But when she finally recognised the two dark men that hid in the shadows, another, more excited shout followed.

"Ddeonghwa!" With all of the force her little body had, she pushed the heavy door open to run inside and come over. Seonghwa crouched down before she rammed her head in places it would hurt and caught her momentum easily. He wrapped his long arms around her little body tightly and lifted her off her feet as he stood back up. Distracted by the swiftness of the motion, Hongjoong wrapped an arm around his hip to step in, too.

"Dada!" Tkki exclaimed just as overjoyed as she leaned over to throw her little arms around his neck, too. It was a bit wobbly to hug her while she was in Seonghwa's arms, but they somehow made it work. While they were busy cuddling, the clop of hooves neared, and then the pretty grey horse entered led by Seonghwa's mother.

At the sight of the two pirates, her cautious face visibly softened, and Hongjoong felt himself smile at the little reunion. He took over Tikki smoothly when Seonghwa teared up at the sight of his mom. While they hugged, Hongjoong and Tikki shared a suspicious glance, scrutinising each other. Her hair was getting longer, and she was wearing the scarf Yeosang had made. It wrapped around her snugly, framing her little round cheeks. Her blue eyes were awake and keenly aware of Hongjoong.

Then, she mushed her little hand against Hongjoong's cheek.

"Ddeonghwa is a better dad than you!"

Flabbergasted, Hongjoong let his mouth drop open. The sudden complaint had come so out of the blue that he nearly laughed out loud at her boldness. Tikki just smirked at his exaggerated surprise.

"Why?"

"He comes back home." Huffy, she turned her head away from him and crossed her arms. She was not willing to hold onto him even if she tumbled down.

Chuckling, Hongjoong wrapped his strong arm tighter around her.

"I also came aft. I actually came aft once more than 'e did. An' ye don't even know yet whether or not I brought ye a present, be ye sure ye want to question me, little one?"

Tikki squinted at him while Seonghwa hushedly spoke with his mother. Hongjoong did his best not to listen in to their private conversation. Instead, he tapped his pointer finger on the little pointy nose Tikki had inherited from him.

Sulky, she whipped her head further away. However, her eyes kept sneaking back to him to see whether she could find something he might give to her on him. As if she had to convince herself, she then spoke towards the horse instead of facing him.

"I don't want things from you!"

"'mm, yet I been so convinced that ye would love it... What shall I do? Maybe I will give it to another kid instead."

Grumbling, she looked back at him. Her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. Now, he had her attention.

"What can you offer?" She tried to seem disinterested and flippant, but Hongjoong fought his grin back at her antics anyways. He followed the other two to the house when they started moving. Tikki quickly reached out behind him to make sure the door was closed shut before demanding to be carried inside.

"Now, what could ye want? Do ye like, 'mm, shinin' things?"

Tikki pouted at him.

"No! People with shining things get robbed, and then they are taken away! Shining things bring bad luck!" She reprimanded him as if he was the child out of the two of them. Proudly, he settled down with her in his lap on the bench while Seonghwa and his mom went to get the flour in the back. Their voices had lightened a bit and were not laced with sorrow anymore. Hongjoong mindlessly played with Tikki's braided hair.

"Wise words, little one. Shinin' things brought me a lot o' scars, too. Then 'ow about somethin' else? 'ere, look at this here." He reached into his pocket with one hand to pull out a bracelet he had made some days before. He had used several shells and regular pearls he had found on the shore and knitted them together on a thread. Mingi had even carved a little starfish out of a piece of driftwood that was dangling at the centre of the simple accessory. After making sure Hongjoong got some sleep and not just stayed hunched over his desk, Seonghwa had approved of it.

"What do ye think?" Hongjoong dangled the simple bracelet in front of her face. As if hypnotised, her eyes followed the movement of it swaying. Already, she seemed entranced by it. However, when no answer came, he closed his hand again with a frown.

"If ye don't want it, then-"

Panicked, she lifted her little fists, grabbing his fingers.

"No, wait! Maybe I can consider accepting it. But I won't forgive you for taking Ddeonghwa away yet! I would have been a way better husband for him!"

Hongjoong did not correct her. If she wanted to be a husband, she could do that. Instead, he just reached for her hand so that he could fasten the gift there. Her little fingers were squirmish as it tickled her, but she managed not to complain any further.

"Sadly, ye weren't fast enough. Also, ye wouldn't even know 'im if not fer me! I introduced ye! if I 'adn't brought 'im o'er, ye would still 'ave a crush on Youjin!" He finished the knot and carefully pulled on the thread to make sure it would stay in place. She would have to take it off for baking, but he left that task to their mother.

Tikki hit his arm with a whine. After having gotten what she wanted, she was already trying to squirm out of his arms by kicking her little legs.

"That was ages ago! I was still a little baby then! I have grown up now." Once again huffy, she looked down at her new treasure. She obviously liked it, tracing her fingers over the objects awestruck. Especially the starfish seemed to match her tastes.

"Mingi made that one. It be a little mate. Do ye want to give 'im a name?" He let her escape from his grip so she could tell her stuffed rabbit plushie named Joong of her newest achievement. Immediately, Hongjoong was forgotten.

"It's Min, then!" With that, she dropped down in her corner so she could show off. Hongjoong quickly got ignored again. He wanted to scoff at her stubbornness, but at the same time, he could see how she regarded the thing with a little smile when she thought he was not looking. He would forgive her.

Seonghwa used the moment of silence to come over and put a bowl of bread and cheese down on the table in front of Hongjoong. His mother followed right behind with some meat, and everybody began eating soon. Seonghwa smoothly slid onto the bench next to Hongjoong so he could put his hand on the man's thigh. Hongjoong playfully squeezed it between his legs.

"What do we say after we got a present, Tikki?" He called between two bites, making the spoiled little princess huff in her corner.

"Thanks or something." The rolling of her eyes was audible in her voice, making Hongjoong giggle amusedly. Clearly, Tikki was having a bad day. However, when she soon came over to wiggle on the bench next to Seonghwa, too, she was promptly satisfied. She took his hand and pulled it over to cuddle it, so he was forced to let go of Hongjoong to continue eating.

Once when she assumed Seonghwa was not looking, she stuck her tongue out to Hongjoong.

If she had not been a child, he would have hit her with the facts of who out of the two of them knew better how to make Seonghwa's face twist in pleasure. However, since she was, he held his horses.

Instead, he directed his attention to the amused woman in the room that was entertainedly reading the moods.

"I'm sure you boys will be very unbothered by Yonghwan if you go explore that mysterious demon world," she was just replying to something Seonghwa had said earlier. When her eyes crossed with Hongjoong's, a gentle smile was thrown his way.

"I would be surprised if we were not. I might take my words of praise for your decision back if he does." Seonghwa laughed dryly before leaning over to feed a bite to Hongjoong. The pirate took the piece of his cheese from him carefully with his teeth, but he made sure to provocatively flick the tip of his tongue against the man's fingertips anyway before pulling back. Seonghwa's lips quirked in a grin.

Impatient, Tikki demanded to be fed, too.

"Make sure to visit me again when you are back and share your incredible stories with me. I don't hear that often about parallel worlds."

Hongjoong nodded cheerfully.

"We will. And we will expect to find you in the best health upon our return, so take good care of things around here," he joked quietly. The message reached her anyway. They were unsure of what would happen themselves. And neither party should make this a goodbye.

"It's a deal. How long will you stay? Is there time for me to bake some pastries that will give the crew strength?"

Worried, Seonghwa glanced at Hongjoong. Indeed, he had been rushing them earlier since he wanted to get things done soon.

This time, however, he smiled calmingly.

"Of course, there is. We will stick around then and leave when you are done. Having a secret weapon is always the best if one fights against an unknown enemy."

Nodding, she went to work. Hongjoong pressed his thigh against Seonghwa's and stayed with their little family for now.

He could not deny how great Seonghwa looked as a father anyway.

As long as Hongjoong could watch him soft like this, and stupid mirror world could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, here we are again. I'm getting nostalgic.
> 
> So for those who might still be unsure, yes, there will be a part 5. However, this time you will have to wait a little longer for me to start with it. For now, I'm planning to write one shots for a not yet determined time so you won't get daily updates but bigger ones when there is one. I'll start a new book for those. Afterwards, there will be Lost Sea 2. Only after that finishes, I will write part 5 ^^
> 
> However, some of you have read it already, but my BAP story 'Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod' will also be translated into English and rewritten to fit Ateez. I will write it on the side and upload it on AO3~
> 
> So!
> 
> I hope that all of you had fun with this book and will meet me again in the last book! Let's see through the epic climax of this series together ^^
> 
> Well, then thank you all for reading and leaving kudos and commenting! Your fun comments sure made my day, and I met a few very lovely people through this! Some people made fanart whom I'm deeply thankful for: that's any author's dream come true ^^ I always look forward to reading my messages ^^
> 
> So thank you and see you later!


End file.
